OMC's call off planned strike after Energy Ministry's intervention

The Energy Minister, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah has directed the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) to work out a flexible payment structure for Oil Marketing Companies in the payment of their licensing fees.

This was the outcome of the Minister's meeting with the Companies and the NPA boss, Moses Assagah earlier today. The meeting was to avert a planned strike by the companies today due to their concerns on how the NPA was enforcing the payment of license fees. 

Mr Buah said “The Oil Marketing Companies in all the stations around the country have some concerns about licensing fees. This is a matter that is before the court but there are some disagreements over measures the NPA was taking, because of which they were threatening to strike.

“I called for a meeting and I am happy to inform you that we resolved the issues and they have agreed to continue working. So this is the assurance to the people [of Ghana] that the OMCs would be selling products during this holiday season.”

He also announced that a committee has been established to iron out all the concerns of the OMCs.

“We have agreed. The immediate issues are resolved.  I have set up a team made up of the [energy] ministry, NPA and the OMCs. We are going to broadly look at all their issues and resolve them. I think they also agree that they have to engage us more instead of resorting to some other measures. They clearly understand that the only way Government can commit more to them is for them to engage us more and for us to work together” he said.