The Minister of Agriculture, Mr Kwasi Ahwoi on Tuesday tasked the newly constituted National Premix Committee (NPC) and Secretariat to ensure that premix fuel got to the beneficiaries at affordable prices.
He said government had now given back the control and management of premix fuel to fishermen and they could not afford to fail the nation.
Mr. Ahwoi was speaking at the inauguration of the reconstituted NPC and a Secretariat, charged to perform all daily technical and administrative activities regarding the premix fuel.
The committee is chaired by Mr Kwaku Nicol, a Director at the Ministry of Agriculture.
Other members include Mr. Nathaniel Aggrey-Mensah, Alhaji Salifu Flikah, Flt. Lt. M. G. Tackie (Rtd), Evans Kofi Ahiakpor, Kweku Agyemang-Duah, Papa Kwodwo Mbir and Mr John Quayson.
Mr. Ahwoi said the original idea of the then National Democratic Congress (NDC) government in forming the premix fuel
committee was to ensure the availability of the subsidized commodity to fishermen at reasonable prices.
He said the intention was also to allow the fishermen to run the premix fuels stations at the landing beaches and the proceeds used to develop their communities.
Mr. Ahwoi said since 2001, the original idea had gradually been diluted such that by the end of 2008 the fishermen had lost total control of the premix administration.
He said rather individuals with more than 900 outlets had taken over the management.
Mr. Ahwoi said the premix administration was affected by corruption, rampant diversion, extensive shortage and adulteration of regular petrol with the premix fuel to the detriment of consumers.
He said the NDC administration after taking a hard look at the premix situation, decided to restructure the NPC and its Secretariat to resolve the numerous problems bedevilling the premix delivery system.
Mr. Ahwoi tasked the new committee to review all existing premix sale points and imitate procedures for receiving and approving applications for the establishment of new outlets.
He urged the committee to examine all licenses for the sale of premix fuel and set out guidelines and modalities for the establishment of new outlets, purchasing procedures, transportation of fuel to stations and sale to beneficiaries in consultation with stakeholders.
Mr. Ahwoi said the committee should determine the price build up of the commodity in consultation with the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) and decide the minimum and maximum quantities to be supplied depending on the needs of fishermen.