The 57 cheating fuel stations were altogether fined to the tune of ¢261,000…
The Ghana Standards Authority (GSA), has sanctioned 57 Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) in the Greater Accra Region for engaging in illegal transaction activities that are not in the interest of consumers.
The cheating fuel stations whose names were withheld, were fined a total of ¢261,000 for offences which include serving customers with lower volumes of fuel, using non-approved GSA seals, and breaking GSA seals on pump nozzles meant to check cheating.
Also See: 21 Persons Arrested in Takoradi for Open Defecation
The affected fuel stations were nabbed during the biannual inspection of the GSA across the country, aimed at ensuring that oil marketers conform to the authority’s laid down regulations. The sanctions, according to the acting Director-General of the GSA, Prof. Alex Dodoo, run within a period of 12 months.
Prof. Dodoo explained that the GSA decided not to disclose names of the sanctioned fuel stations after considering the fact that they were mostly first time offenders. He was however, quick to add that OMCs will be named as well as prosecuted if they violate the cited rules next time.
Below is a breakdown of the ¢261,000 sanction on the 57 cheating fuel stations.
45 of the OMCs were fined ¢5,000 each for adjusting their fuel pump measurements, thereby serving customers lesser amounts of fuel than they purchase. This amounted to a total of ¢222,000.
10 of the 57 petrol stations were fined ¢3,000 each for using fuel pumps that were not approved by the Ghana Standard Authority (GSA). This amounted to a total of ¢30,000.
2 stations were fined ¢3,000 each for breaking the seals on pump nozzles put in place by the GSA to prevent false measures. This amounted to ¢6,000.
Note that the GSA usually install its seals on the nozzles of fuel pumps to ensure that consumers were not short-served.
In acknowledgment of the efforts of the GSA in helping to sanitize the country’s oil market, the Council of the Chamber of Petroleum Consumers (COPEC), decried the increasing levels of under dispensing of oil to customers at various fuel stations across the country, especially through the use of adjusted pumps.
The Executive Secretary of COPEC, Dr Duncan Amoah who spoke to Daily Graphic, described it as a practice that rob unsuspecting customers and also enrich the ‘crooks’ who engage in the fraudulent practice.
In order to further deter the culprits, Dr Amoah disclosed that “COPEC intends to forward a communique to the GSA to drastically increase these fines by at least 100 per cent”. In addition, he said that they “are also going to recommend custodial sentences for dealers found to be engaged in this act”.
Join GhanaStar.com to receive daily email alerts of breaking news in Ghana. GhanaStar.com is your source for all Ghana News. Get the latest Ghana news, breaking news, sports, politics, entertainment and more about Ghana, Africa and beyond.
