The Executive Secretary of the Chamber of Petroleum Consumers Association (Copec) Duncan Amoah , has disclosed that the only factor propelling filling stations and operators to steal from their consumers is the weak nature of the punishment meted out to those who fall foul.
According to him , the laws of the country allows such persons to pay an amount of five thousand Ghanaian CEDI’s after perpetrating the act. Meanwhile they might have stolen from consumers for over three months.
Mr. Amoah disclosed this on Happy 98.9 FM’s current affairs show Epa Hoa Daben hosted by Kwame Afrifa Mensah commander of the Ghana Airwaves.
He stated further that the only time attendants and stations steal from their customers is after five o’clock because officials from the National Petroleum Authority Standards Authority as well as Chamber of Petroleum Authority are mandated to check them daily to ensure that they operate by standards.
He has called on consumers to do personal checks on the products sold to them right at the filling stations to ensure that they are served the right quantity of fuel bought.
This came at the back drop that over 57 oil marketing companies have been sanctioned by the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) for engaging in various infractions detrimental to the interest of the consumers.
Meanwhile the Public Relations Officer of the Standards Authority Ghana, Dr. Kofi Amponsah Bediako, has seconded the proposed initiative of Duncan Amoah that consumers are the best people to fight the menace by insisting for the vessel of understanding which will help them ascertain by themselves that they were rightly served and received value for their money.
He admitted that the only way of checking the canker at the filling stations was using a machine to monitor the act but unfortunately the country does not have such and can only import it from outside Ghana.
Dr. Amponsah also disclosed that his office have been having a routine checks on the stations to ensure that the right thing was done.
In cases where they catch stations breaching the laws of operations they sealed the pumps with their seals to prevent them from stealing further.
By: Yaa Amoakowaa Obeng
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