Godwin Kudzo Tameklo, Acting Chief Executive of the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), has embarked on a tour of fuel installations in the country to apprise himself of their operations.
The visits are to give him first-hand information on the ongoing work, prospects, and challenges with the view to offering the needed regulatory support and direction.
He was accompanied by the Deputy Chief Executive, Dr. Sheila Addo, and the management staff of the Authority.
The first point of call was the Ghana Petroleum Mooring Systems Limited (GPMS), where the team was taken offshore and briefed on how fuel vessels were berthed and how the fuel was discharged through pipes to terminals.
The team also visited the Ghana Bunkering Services Limited, where it was taken through how fuel was discharged into tankers for onward distribution to oil marketing companies.
Thereafter, the team visited the Sentuo Oil Refinery Company Limited and the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR).
Speaking at the TOR, Mr Tameklo stressed the need for new management of TOR to work on getting the refinery to start refining crude oil for the local market to reduce the importation of refined oil and consequently ease the pressure on the cedi.
In his remarks, the Acting Managing Director of TOR, Dr Yusif Sulemana, stated that the management would ensure the revamping of TOR to perform its core function of crude oil refinery.
At Sentuo Oil Refinery, the NPA Boss affirmed the commitment of the Authority to support Sentuo in completing the second phase of its project to rump up Sentuo’s refinery from 40,000 barrels per day to 100,000 barrels per day.
Mr Tameklo urged the management of Sentuo to engage more Ghanaians, especially petrochemical engineering students and others from the other technical departments, to allow for technology transfer.
He said recruiting Ghanaians was cheaper compared to hiring the services of expatriates.
The NPA Boss welcomed the proposal by the Sentuo management to start loading fuel at night in line with the 24-hour economy policy of the government.
He said NPA’s technical inspectors would follow up on the request and advise accordingly.
GNA
