Even though there have been concerns about the importation of toxic fuels into the country, the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) maintains that the imported fuels meet Ghana’s standards.
According to the CEO of NPA, Moses Asaga, the country has a level 3000ppm of Sulphur content in diesels on the market but in Europe the level permitted is 50ppm.
If consumers in Ghana, therefore, want diesel with a high quality that contains less amount of Sulphur, then consumers will have to pay a higher price for such fuels.
He was responding to findings from a three-year research project by Swiss NGO Public Eye, which revealed that importation of extremely harmful diesel into the country was on the rise.
According to the Public Eye report, which cited African nations as being the most receivers of these dangerous fuels, major European oil companies and commodity traders were exploiting Ghana’s particularly weak fuel standards to export the high-polluting fuels that they could never sell at the pumps in Europe.
Gian Valentino Viradez, Project Manager in charge of Development Policy at Public Eye, who presented the report at a forum in Accra on Thursday September 15, said the practice had damaging effects.
According to him, these fuels contain “nitrogen oxide, sulphur dioxide, and all kinds of pollutants that are known to be very bad for health”.
Mr Viradez added: “They cause chronic diseases and many other conditions such as lung cancer and this has to be taken seriously. We believe Africans have the right to know what they are consuming when they go to the pumps.”
However, Mr Asaga maintains that if consumers are willing to pay for premium fuels, such fuels can be imported but what is available on the market is permissible within the standards of the country.
"If we want high quality fuel then we need to pay more… the thing is a price issue", he told Joy FM in an interview on Friday, September 16, 2016.
Source: classfmonline.com
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Dear Mr. C.E.O, I am very disappointed in you holding that position but I dont blame you, because you are a finance person. Why was your organization set up? Essentially, to take the appropriate technical decisions on our behalf. You should rather have advocated to consumers on the need to move towards higher standards in our own interest, at least healthwise. What can be more costly to a Ghanaian citizen and his family than a person who has developed Cancer? Indeed, as a technical head, shouldn't you rather be advising us to move up on standards? As it is, you are rather discouraging Ghanaians from upgrading by scaring us with cost. I put it you, that considering the taxes and fees loaded on fuel products in Ghana, cost cannot be the only consideration. Was politics read into the net pricing if we upgraded for a higher standard? In any case, what do we want, a sick less productive people with a heavy annual health budget or a healthy productive people with a low annual health budget? I am certainly disappointed with your explanation particularly so, of your position as the CEO of NPA which should act as the technical eye of the populace towrds their well being.
It saddens me that Ghanaians don't know that they are paying more for fuel than Europeans and Americans. My heart aches anytime I read about economic policies that impoverish our people.Your economy can never, never grow so long as the people are poor.The people cannot save to invest;lack of purchasing power will drive away potential investors. This is basic economics and our failure to grasp this amazes me. Let's mobilize the people to produce more to create wealth. REMOVE the killing taxes, manage our resources well. Make good use of our seaports by importing and refining crude oil for our landlocked neighbours. This alone can make us as strong as Singapore.
What kind of leaders do we have in Ghana. Asaga must be made to resign immediately. What is the purpose of NPA? How dare you say that people must be prepared tompay more for fuel otherwise toxic products will flood the market. I just can't see the logic here. NPA is supposed to check the fuel importers and to ensure that the right quality fuel is imported into the country. NPA is supposed to safeguard public interest and not be in bed with the importers. NPA must answer why they allowed cheap but toxic fuel into the country to be sold at exorbitant price to the Ghanaian. The last time i checked Ghanaians were asked to pay the market price of the commodity so what is Moses Asaga talking about. We are sick and tired of lame mind politicians put into public offices to siphon money and only think about their personal interest and not the interest of the public. How dare you as a public official say something like this in US or any of the advanced countries. If we had a strong parliament this should have led to a parliamentary probe immediately. No two questions about it. Who allowed the fuel into the country. Why is our tolerance level of sulfur 5000 ppm while that of europe is 50 ppm. Who set that limit and for what reason? which companies have imported such fuels into the country, at what cost and how much are they selling it.These are but a few questions begging for answers. Please Moses Asaga don't insult the intelligence of Ghanaians. Its a shame that our Governance system is not yet matured, you would have lost your position by now.
Why should we pay more,petrol and diesel in ghana is more than in usa and Europe so what is asaga telling us,their cronies rurun the oil business.kalabule everywhere
Mr Asaga why can't we raise our standards to conform to what pertains in Europe if components in the current products are hazardous to our health.
THESE EUROPEANS ARE SELLING DIESEL POWERED VEHICLES THROUGH THEIR RESPECTIVE DEALERSHIP TO GHANAIANS. ......WHICH ARE DESIGNED TO RUN ON ULTRA LOW SULPHUR DIESEL......AND THEN HERE COMES FREQUENT FUEL SYSTEM PART FAILURES......INJECTORS. , COMMON RAILS AND THE LIKES.......I BET YOU WILL BUY THIS THINGS TILL TILL......UNLESS YOUR CAR IS A TROPICALISED ONE.......OR YET STILL YOU DECIDE NOT TO MIND AND USE UR CAR TILL U TRASH IT.......WISE UP GHANA PEOPLE.