Tema-Ghana, Sept. 27, CDA Consult – The Association of Oil Marketing Companies (AOMC) has called on the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) to crack the whip on the influx of Chinese companies in the haulage of petroleum products in the country.
Mr. Kwaku Agyemang-Duah, AOMC Chief Executive Officer, also called on the NPA to make it clear and unambiguous that transportation of petroleum products can only be done by 100 percent Ghanaian-owned businesses.
“We would also like to understand how, when, and by whose authority these trucks were allowed into the country. Did they enjoy tax breaks? If that is the case, it will also be totally unfair on existing transporters who have to pay fully,” Mr. Agyemang-Duah stated.
He noted, “As an association, we remain committed to the development and growth of the downstream petroleum sector, and we will painstakingly and consciously protect the gains of the industry.
“We will not, by any shape, thought, design, orchestrations, machinations, or maneuvering by forces within or without the country, persuade us to relinquish our sovereignty to a pseudo or masquerading investor.
“With the abhorrence, vigilance, and support of well-meaning Ghanaians, we shall succeed”.
The association condemns the infiltration of foreigners into the petroleum haulage sector, saying “it is a deleterious act with the potential to rape our resources and render the country barren and incapacitated.
“We, AOMCs, would like to register our protest, consternation, and indignation that such awful thought, despicable and dastardly act with impugn treachery, is allowed to ferment in this era, rumination of the pangs of retrogression,” Mr. Agyemang-Duah, who is also AOMC Industry Coordinator, told the Communication for Development and Advocacy Consult (CDA Consult) in Tema.
Mr. Agyemang-Duah, who was reacting to the influx of Chinese companies in the haulage of petroleum products in the country, noted that “we are equally incensed and horrified that this should be allowed to fester at this time of our nation’s development with the full glare of our leaders”.
He noted that in today’s globalized world, attracting foreign investment has become a crucial aspect of economic development; however, it is equally important to protect local interests in certain sectors of the economy by objectively striking a balance between attracting foreign investment and safeguarding local interests, especially in the petroleum downstream sector.
Mr. Agyemang-Duah noted that as a country with a burgeoning industry, the association recognizes the importance of foreign investments in Ghana’s economic growth and development, which is evidenced in the construction of a Chinese-owned Sentuo refinery, a testament to the country’s attractiveness as an investment destination.
Ghana’s petroleum haulage business has been driven by local entrepreneurs who have invested substantial resources, time, and effort to establish and maintain their businesses, he said.
He noted that through their own efforts amidst the ever-increasing interest rates on credit facilities, they have played a vital role in the country’s economic development, providing employment opportunities, and contributing to the overall growth of the nation.
“It is a sad tale to observe, with the utmost disdain, the operationalization of foreign trucks, allegedly sanctioned by the Sentuo refinery, which, for all intents and purposes, threaten to unfairly undermine and see to the eventual extinct of the local haulage industry, which has been the backbone of the petroleum downstream sector for years,” he noted.
