The National Petroleum Authority (NPA) is seeking a review of the penalties imposed on individuals who establish unauthorised fuel stations, arguing that the current fines are too lenient to serve as an effective deterrent.
According to the Authority, the existing penalty regime which is pegged at less than GHS20,000 is inadequate, especially in light of the increasing number of unlicensed fuel outlets, some of which have caused fatal explosions.
Speaking during an engagement with Parliament’s Energy Committee, NPA Chief Executive Officer Godwin Edudzi Tamakloe underscored the urgency of strengthening enforcement to safeguard lives and property.
“If the penalties are punitive enough, it will discourage those unscrupulous people from setting up filling stations in unauthorised places. We all remember the event that happened at Haatso and the panic it set in the whole system. We are trying so well to make sure that we minimise those incidents,” he said.
Tamakloe reaffirmed the NPA’s commitment to stricter enforcement of safety regulations and curbing the establishment of illegal fuel stations across the country.
CNR
