… Assures of enough fuel stock

Government has in a statement assured the public that there is enough fuel stock, despite the shutdown of the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR). Figures released to government by the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) show that the current stock available can last for the next five weeks, and “there are arrangements as is always the case to secure more supplies taken into consideration the production schedules of TOR.”


Reacting to the pronouncements of workers of TOR, the Deputy Minister for Information James Agyenim Boateng denied that the President, John Atta Mills, has directed that only TOR should and can procure crude for the refinery. He explained that the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) is the entity currently mandated to lift the country to country crude from Nigeria, but that does not bar TOR from procuring its own crude or from other suppliers.

“Infact the immediate reason for the shutdown of the refinery was the inability of a supplier sourced by TOR to deliver on the scheduled date of between 8th and 10th of April, 2010. The supplier, Apasuo, was unable to deliver because the vessel bringing the crude oil did not meet the required standards of the Tema Offshore Mooring.”

According to the Deputy Minister, it can therefore not be true that the Minister for Energy or any other government official has flouted any directive or denied TOR the opportunity to procure crude for its operations.

“Indeed, TOR’s own schedule for crude imports show as many as six different companies lined up to supply crude between now and the middle of May this year”, the statement added.

The statement stated that contrary to the claim by workers, the present arrangement allows the GNPC and TOR to work together until such time that the TOR is able and has the ability to raise letters of credit on their own.

Government remains committed to the financial restructuring of TOR, which involves the injection of funds into the refinery. That has been demonstrated with the recent payment to the Ghana Commercial Bank (GCB) of GH¢445 million on behalf of the Refinery.

James Agyenim Boateng
Deputy Minister for Information
Accra

Source: Ministry of Information