Ghana’s downstream regulator, National Petroleum Authority (NPA), has hit the ground running this year with the setting up of an electronic cargo tracking system and national command centre.
The state of the art centre, located within the head office of the NPA in Dzorwulu, Accra, will enable the NPA monitor the movement of Bulk Road Vehicles (BRVs) or tanker which is the mode of transportation of petroleum products in the West African country.
Delivering a speech to officially commission the centre, Chief Executive Officer of NPA, Hassan Tampuli explained that the introduction of the Electronic Cargo Tracking System (ECTS) and the Command Centre is aimed at further tightening the controls in the petroleum products supply chain.
Also, the center would provide a platform for planned control measures to be deployed at the retail outlets to ensure maximum tax revenue mobilisation by the state.
He said such a control would help in the fight against illicit activities in the petroleum downstream Industry.
“In the course of this year, we will be deploying Automatic Tank Gauging and Stock Management and Monitoring systems at retail outlets throughout the country. This system will give the NPA and the GRA real time view of petroleum stocks at all retail outlets in the country,” he revealed.
In 2014 alone, Ghana lost a revenue of GH¢ 43 million due to fraudulent activities by petroleum transport service providers.
“The NPA is determined to curb illicit activities in the petroleum downstream Industry and have been in collaboration with the National Security Council in the fight against illicit activities.”
The NPA plans to enhance the platform provided by the BRV and the Electronic Cargo Tracking System and the Command Centre to build a formidable controlling and monitoring system for petroleum products distribution from imports and refinery production to the retail outlets and bulk customers.
Vice President Dr. Mahammudu noted that activities within the downstream petroleum sector cost the country over US$200 million per annum in the form of direct petroleum tax revenue, subsidies that do not get to the targeted constituencies and abuse in transport claims for transportation of petroleum products among others.
The dynamics of illicit activities in the petroleum downstream industry requires a multi-pronged solution to ensure sanity in the industry.
“I, therefore, charge the NPA to enhance and sustain the already initiated technological interventions such as the Petroleum Product Marking Scheme, the Bulk Road Vehicle Tracking and Volume Monitoring System, the Enterprise Relational Database Management System (ERDMS) and now the Electronic Sealing and Cargo Tracking System,” he said.
The Vice President welcomed plans by the NPA to enforce the use of flowmeters with temperature compensation features at all petroleum product depots and deployment of Automatic Tank Gauging and Stock Management and Monitoring Systems at retail outlets in the country.
“These systems will give the regulatory authorities such as the NPA and the GRA, real time view of petroleum product stocks and movements at all retail outlets and depots in the country.
He urged the NPA to vigorously pursue these plans and also enhance its collaborative activities with the National Security Council and the Ghana Revenue Authority in finding a lasting solution to the illicit activities in the Petroleum Downstream Industry.
Industry Coordinator, Kwaku Agyemang Duah commended NPA for the initiative, stating that it would go a long way to help in fighting criminal activities in the industry.
On his part, Chairman of the Association of Oil Marketing Companies (AOMC), Johnny Blagogee expressed belief that the Electronic and Cargo Tracking System and National Command Centre would help to fight illegal activities in the downstream petroleum sector.
“It will help us because we will not pay for what we haven’t sold. I mean the GRA will know what we have received and what we have sold and pay on the basis of what we have sold and not on what we haven’t sold out,”he said.
Source:www.energynewsafrica.com