The Chief Executive Officer of the National Petroleum Authority, Godwin Kudzo Tameklo, has inaugurated a 16-member multi-stakeholder Bitumen Technical Committee to develop a comprehensive regulatory framework for Ghana’s bitumen industry.

The committee has been tasked with formulating regulations to guide the quality, regulation and use of bitumen in the country’s road construction sector.

According to the NPA, although the bitumen industry has operated in Ghana for several years and plays a critical role in the development and maintenance of road infrastructure, there is currently no dedicated regulatory framework governing key activities such as importation, storage, transportation, distribution and quality assurance.

The committee will be chaired by Mr Abass Tasunti, Director of Economic Regulation and Planning at the NPA, while Ms Bridgette A. Turkson, Acting Director of the Licensing Directorate, will serve as Co-Chair.

Membership of the committee comprises representatives from the NPA’s Quality Assurance, Licensing, Inspections Monitoring and Health, Safety and Environment (HSE), and Economic Regulation and Planning Directorates.

It also includes stakeholders from the Ghana Highways Authority, Ghana Standards Authority, Ghana Revenue Authority and the Ministry of Roads and Highways.

Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, Mr Tameklo said the establishment of the committee was an important step towards strengthening oversight of the bitumen industry and ensuring that products used in road construction meet the required standards.

He noted that the committee’s work would help guarantee that bitumen produced locally or imported into the country complies with established quality requirements, thereby supporting the delivery of durable and reliable road infrastructure.

The committee is expected to engage relevant stakeholders and develop recommendations that will form the basis of a regulatory regime for the sector.