Energy Ministry To Sets Up 8-Member Committee To Probe BOST ‘Rot’

The Energy Ministry has initiated steps to probe circumstances under which five million litres of fuel belonging to the Bulk Oil and Storage Transportation Company (BOST) was contaminated.

The Ministry in a statement Wednesday, said an eight-member Committee will be constituted to establish the veracity of the matter.

“We wish to assure the general public, that the Ministry is determined to ensure that the integrity of the quality of petroleum products supplied in the country is protected,” the statement said.

The decision by BOST to dispose five million litres of contaminated fuel to two oil companies, Movenpiina and ZupOil has triggered some backlash.

The African Centre for Energy Policy (ACEP) claimed the rejected product has found its way in the market but BOST has denied that.

BOST Media Relations Manager, Nana Akua Adubea Obeng said the company took the decision to sell the fuel because it had to free its storage facility in order to make way for new delivery.

The issue was stoked after the Minority in Parliament added its voice, calling on the President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo government to “set aside” BOST MD, Alfred Obeng.

The opposition lawmakers at a news conference Tuesday said the action of the facility will cause some financial loss to the state.

Although a preliminary investigation by the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) has revealed an illegality was committed in the BOST transaction, the Energy Ministry is in the process of setting up a Committee to conduct full probe.

The terms of reference of the Committee are;
1.       Determine the circumstances that created the off-spec product

2.       Review the procedures undertaken by BOST to evacuate the product

3.       Ascertain the quality and remaining quantity of the product

4.       Determine if the product can be corrected, if not determine the alternative use for the product

5.       Review the transaction
According to the statement, the committee is expected to advise the Energy Ministry on the necessary technical, administrative and legal actions to be taken.

The members of the committee cut across the major stakeholders of the Energy sector.

They include;
National Petroleum Authority (NPA)
•         Tema Oil Refinery (TOR)
•         Ghana Standards Authority (GSA)
•         Bureau of National Investigations
•         Chamber of Bulk oil Distributors
•         Association of Oil Marketing Companies
•         Energy Commission
•         A representative from the relevant Civil Society Organizations

-Myjoyonline