By Benard Worlali Awumee
Anloga, (V/R), May 30, GNA – The Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development has intensified efforts to safeguard Ghana’s premix fuel subsidy programme and ensure that its intended benefits are effectively directed to genuine fisherfolk across the country.
This renewed commitment forms part of broader measures aimed at strengthening transparency, accountability, and efficiency within the premix fuel distribution system.
As part of stakeholder engagement, the Chamber of Oil Marketing Companies (COMAC), led by its Chief Executive Officer, Dr Riverson Oppong, paid a courtesy call on the Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture Development, Emelia Arthur, over the week to deliberate on growing concerns regarding the diversion, hoarding, and misuse of subsidised premix fuel.
During the engagement, Dr Oppong noted that the premix fuel subsidy was introduced to support small-scale fishers and canoe operators by making fuel affordable and accessible, thereby sustaining livelihoods in coastal and inland fishing communities.
However, he expressed concern that the original objective of the subsidy is being undermined in some instances, where individuals divert fuel intended for fishing communities and resell it at inflated prices for personal gain.
He stressed that the subsidy is designed strictly to support fisherfolk and not for profiteering, calling for enhanced collaboration between the Chamber and the Ministry to curb illegal practices and strengthen accountability mechanisms within the distribution chain.
According to him, urgent and decisive interventions are required to address challenges such as fuel diversion, hoarding, and unaccounted losses, which he described as a serious regulatory and law enforcement concern.
In response, Madam Emelia Arthur, the Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture Development, reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to tackling illegalities within the premix fuel distribution system.
She disclosed that the Ministry, in collaboration with the Premix Fuel Secretariat, has already intensified monitoring efforts and is actively working to track and apprehend individuals involved in illicit activities.
The Minister further assured the Chamber of the continued support of the Fisheries Enforcement Unit (FEU) in prosecuting offenders found culpable, reiterating government’s resolve to protect the integrity of the subsidy regime.
She emphasized that the Ministry remains firmly committed to ensuring that subsidised premix fuel reaches the intended beneficiaries who are fisherfolks and is not diverted for unlawful profit-making purposes.
Meanwhile, field observations conducted by the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in the Anloga District of the Volta Region Friday indicate that premix fuel distribution in the area is largely being managed in accordance with established regulations.
No cases of diversion or hoarding have been reported in recent times, though there have been unverified and alleged reports of overpricing.
The District Chief Executive, Sandra Kpedor, has also undertaken a series of accountability sessions across landing beaches to reinforce compliance and improve monitoring of premix fuel distribution activities.
In separate engagements with fisherfolk at various landing beaches in the District, they indicated that although fuel supply is not always regular, periodic deliveries have generally been adequate to sustain their fishing activities and livelihoods.
Premix fuel is a government-subsidised mixture of petrol (gasoline) and premix oil used to power outboard motors in Ghana’s artisanal fishing sector, making it more affordable for small-scale fisherfolk.
It is distributed through Landing Beach Committees (LBCs) based on community needs such as fleet size and fishing activity.
About 53 per cent of premix sales margins are reinvested into community development projects, including schools, health facilities, and markets in fishing communities.
The system is regulated under the National Premix Fuel Committee Regulations, 2016 (L.I. 2233).
GNA
Edited by Maxwell Awumah/Audrey Dekalu