The National Petroleum Authority (NPA) has launched Phase II of the Petroleum Products Marking Scheme (PPMS) which is targeted at ensuring consumer satisfaction with regards to the quality of supplies to the market.

This comes six years after introducing Fuel Marking Scheme in the country to check the adulteration of petroleum products sold to consumers.

Hassan Tampuli, the CEO of the Authority at the launch of the PPMS Phase Two in Accra on Wednesday said, “Contaminated fuels do not only have a negative impact on the environment but cause costly damage to combustion systems. Many mechanical breakdowns such as engine failure and fuel starvation can be attributed to poor quality of petroleum products.

“In this regard, an effective fuel quality management system in place will ensure that the quality of petroleum products are constantly monitored by fuel quality tests and analysis to mitigate all potential effects of poor quality fuels and assure customers of improved quality of fuel and value for money.”

The establishment of the Scheme, he said has always been a well-thought-out initiative of the NPA and is ultimately aimed at ensuring consumer satisfaction with regards to the quality of petroleum products supplied to the market.

The PPMS Unit provides a foundation for an effective quality monitoring system by introducing a marker in trace quantities into petroleum products at all operational depots in the country prior to distribution to the market.

Explaining the Scheme further, Mr Tampuli said the marker is a unique identifier which aids in distinguishing the various types of petroleum products and exposes the addition of a foreign product if any. 

“This is achieved by testing samples of petroleum products on a monthly basis at approximately 75% of retail outlets & bulk consumers across the country. Tests are carried out with proprietary analytical devices which detect the presence or otherwise of the marker,” he said.

According to him, Phase II of the PPMS is anchored on technological advancements in the markers as well as the detection proprietary equipment.

“The marker has been uniquely designed for the Ghanaian market with a chemical composition to aid in immediate equipment quantification and detection to enable the NPA to make swift decisions on whether retail outlets have dumped or adulterated the petroleum products being offered for sale at retail outlets across the country,” he said. 

Essentially, Phase II of the PPMS will see the NPA improve upon sustained successful marking and field monitoring of marked petroleum products and reduction in the retail outlet failure rate, which is indicative of the decrease in the malpractices in the distribution and sale of petroleum products.

It will also mark an improvement in stakeholder awareness in furtherance of the NPA’s medium-term strategy, a significant reduction in the fuel tax revenue loss and subsidy abuse; and improved quality of products at the retail outlets for consumers of petroleum products.

Dr Amin Adam, Deputy Energy Minister, lauded the NPA for their ceaseless push to clean up the petroleum downstream sector urging them to keep the spirit as there is more to be explored in the sector.

She is confident the Scheme will seal the loopholes that enable operators who engage in the illicit trade and thereby not paying tax to government.

“I am very confident that this program will help Ghanaian consumers realise that they are getting value for money,” she said.