Ghana: NPA Explains Why It Allowed Unlicensed Tankers To Operate

Ghana’s National Petroleum Authority (NPA) allowed some unlicensed fuel tankers to continue transporting petroleum products to avert potential shortages in parts of the country, its chief executive said.

Godwin Edudzi Tameklo told Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee last week that the authority had sought to balance regulatory enforcement with the need to maintain fuel supplies.

His explanation followed concerns raised in the Auditor-General’s 2025 report, which found that only 2,514 of more than 4,000 Bulk Road Vehicles (BRVs), commonly known as fuel tankers, were licensed by the NPA.

Tameklo said Ghana had nearly 5,000 petroleum retail outlets served by just over 4,000 tankers. Strict enforcement without considering supply needs could disrupt deliveries, he said.

“What we’ve done prior to this audit is to ensure a balancing act — whilst ensuring regulation, how do we also ensure that petroleum products ultimately get to people?” he said.

He said consumers expected fuel to be available regardless of the regulatory challenges involved in delivering it, underscoring the authority’s responsibility to maintain supplies.

Tameklo explained that NPA licensing enabled the authority to monitor and track tankers, while the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) was responsible for certifying their roadworthiness.

He said enforcing compliance was easier in Accra than elsewhere in the country, adding that the NPA could still track petroleum product movements through freight cost claims.