Intermittent fuel shortages appears to be biting the capital, Accra, harder this Wednesday and lucky drivers have found themselves in long meandering queues for supply.
The not so fortunate are running around looking for 'reasonable' queues or have had to park on the shoulders of the roads to continue the search with empty gallons and other receptacles.
The Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) has meanwhile assured the general public that, hopefully, by Friday, there should be enough petrol and diesel on the market.
The Public Relations Manager of TOR, Mrs Aba Lokko, told Joy FM's Super Morning Show host Kojo Oppong Nkrumah that the southern sector of the country is experiencing fuel shortages due to a "combination of factors".
Even though the Residual Catalytic Cracking Unit (RCCU) of the refinery was shutdown for six months for regular maintenance, the unit has been shut down again barely a week after operations at the instance of its engineers to enable them carry out full maintenance works to ensure that the refinery operates at full capacity.
This, Mrs Lokko said, is partly accountable for the shortage.
She also stated that TOR has ceased supplying fuel to 10 out of some 56 oil marketing companies because "they owe us so much", while scheduled imports by TOR also delayed.
Mrs Lokko however assured the public that its engineers are working hard to get the plant back at full capacity. She wants the public therefore to bear with them. "We are working as far as we can, not too long we will be back," she assured.
Price disincentive?
As a short term measure, she said, supplies to the non-owing oil marketing companies would be increased so that they could cover a wide area, whilst negotiations go on with its debtors to ensure settlement.
Meanwhile, Joy Business News' senior journalist, Israel Laryea, says the problem could partly be attributed to the unwillingness of the oil marketing companies to import crude oil because the price on the Ghanaian market is not lucrative enough.
"They are hesitant to import the products because they are not happy with the price of the product, it is not profitable."
Story by Isaac Essel/Myjoyonline.com
1 comment:
What an ineffective and inefficient government we've got! So they could not use profits from the 30% increase in fuel prices to import petrol and diesel for the nation?
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