Duncan Amoah, the Executive Director of the Chamber for Petroleum Consumers (COPEC), has sent a strong signal to the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) that any attempts to clear Chinese Sentuo Oil Refinery Limited will not work.
COPEC and the Institute for Energy Security (IES), in a joint statement dated February 21, accused the regulator, NPA, of allowing Sentuo Oil to operate without the necessary permit.
However, the NPA, in a statement responding to IES and COPEC, amongst other things, said, “The NPA has, at all material times, enforced the rules and regulations governing the industry fairly and equitably.
“It is therefore incorrect for the IES and COPEC to allege that the NPA is “playing soft” with SORL [Sentuo Oil Refinery Limited] “to the detriment of consumers and the state,” said the NPA.
The NPA further noted that “beyond the remedial actions taken, sanctions have also been imposed on SORL.”
But Duncan Amoah reacting to the NPA statement on Ghana Tonight, on Thursday, Feb. 22, maintained that the vehicle owners affected by the substandard petroleum products supplied by Sentuo Oil will seek redress in court.
Responding to whether the NPA suspending Sentuo Oil will put matters to rest, Mr. Amoah said, “We would have wished to settle this matter without further recourse to any form of restitution.”
Read also: IES, COPEC call on OSP to investigate Sentuo Oil Refinery
“But clearly, we have already made attempts with our lawyers to seek justice for the numerous people who within the past few days have had challenges with their vehicles or engines as a result of this bad fuel consignment, that the NPA wants to water down,” he added.
He also criticised the NPA for attempting to whitewash the issue based on the tone of their statement responding to COPEC and IES.
Sale of unwholesome petroleum products: Attempts to whitewash or water it down won't suffice – Duncan Amoah, Executive Director, COPEC#GhanaTonight #TV3GH pic.twitter.com/sVeoJnTcU4
— #TV3GH (@tv3_ghana) February 23, 2024
Duncan Amoah said, “If you read through their statement again, suggesting that it was 0.2 above tolerance and so they are taking steps as it were to correct and that it would not harm anybody.”
IES and COPEC called on OSP to investigate Sentuo Oil
IES and COPEC, in a joint statement dated February 21, stated, amongst other things, that the Chinese company has engaged in several illegalities in the downstream petroleum market. They accused the Chinese oil refinery of operating without the appropriate licenses.
“The IES and COPEC call on the Special Prosecutor to investigate the activities of the Sentuo Oil Refinery leading up to unspecified and sub-standard petroleum products finding their way into the Ghanaian petroleum market,” the joint statement reads in parts.
Read more: Petroleum prices expected to drop at local pumps – COPEC
Also, the advocacy groups revealed that “Sentuo Oil Refinery has failed to collaborate with the Inspection and Monitoring Department of the NPA to acquire the necessary permits and develop the necessary checklists for the inspection of the refinery facility.”
IES and COPEC maintained that aside from the construction permit granted to the Chinese Sentuo Oil refinery, no other licenses have been issued to warrant Sentuo to commence oil processing, trading, and marketing, stating that the action of Sentuo Oil Refinery is “in clear contravention of established national laws and acts.”