Accra, Oct. 20, GNA – The National Petroleum Authority (NPA) has urged public institutions to use consumer complaints and feedback to improve service delivery, strengthen regulatory oversight and build public confidence.
The Authority said analysing consumer concerns could help institutions identify recurring problems, guide inspections, improve public education and determine areas requiring regulatory intervention.
Mr Johnson Gbagbo Jnr., Head of Consumer Data Analytics and Market Intelligence at the NPA made the call during a panel discussion on Customer Experience and Service Delivery at the 7th Africa Public Sector Conference and Awards (APSCA 2026) in Accra.
He said complaints should not be viewed as cases to be resolved and closed, but as a resource for shaping inspections, public education and enforcement actions.
Mr Gbagbo described consumers as key partners in the regulatory process whose observations often complemented official monitoring efforts.
“The consumer is the last inspector in the regulatory process. We inspect and monitor, but the motorist at the pump is often the first to notice when something is wrong, and we want them to speak up, ” he said.
On petroleum pricing, Mr. Gbagbo said consumers were primarily concerned about fuel prices, quantity, quality and the handling of complaints.
He said consumers expected to receive the correct quantity and quality of fuel at the displayed price, even if they did not understand the technical aspects of regulation.
Mr Gbagbo noted that international petroleum product prices and exchange rate movements influenced domestic pump prices, underscoring the need for transparency and consumer education.
He said the NPA published minimum price floors for each pricing window to promote transparency and compliance in the downstream petroleum market.
Mr Gbagbo highlighted the Authority’s promotion of the 10-litre standard measuring can, popularly known as “Ntease Kuruwa”, as a tool for verifying fuel quantities dispensed at filling stations.
He said the measuring can, introduced with the Ghana Standards Authority in 2006, allowed consumers who suspected under-delivery to request quantity verification at fuel stations.
Mr Gbagbo encouraged motorists to use the measuring can and report suspected irregularities to the Authority.
On accessibility, he said the NPA’s dedicated Call Centre was staffed by personnel able to communicate in various Ghanaian languages to enable consumers to lodge complaints and seek clarification in languages they understood.
The Authority’s regional offices also provides consumers with easier access to regulatory services and complaint mechanisms.
Mr. Gbagbo said consumer education must be taken directly to communities rather than relying solely on office-based engagements and digital platforms.
He said the Authority regularly engaged consumers in markets, lorry parks, transport terminals, communities and tertiary institutions on fuel quality, LPG safety, consumer rights and complaint reporting procedures.
The NPA was undertaking a consumer education exercise at the Madina Lorry Park during the conference, engaging commercial drivers and other consumers on their rights and responsibilities, he said.
The exercise followed similar outreach programmes in the Volta, Eastern, Western, Central and Ashanti regions earlier in the year.
”Accessibility means going to where people are. A driver at a lorry park should not need to visit an office to learn his rights,” he stated.
Mr Gbagbo said consumers and small-scale economic actors often faced challenges due to limited access to information and unequal bargaining power.
He called for greater collaboration among African regulators through the sharing of experience and effective consumer protection practices, including transparency, public education, accessible complaint systems and enforcement.
On digital transformation, Mr. Gbagbo cautioned institutions against transferring inefficient administrative procedures onto digital platforms without first addressing underlying challenges.
He said technology should simplify processes, reduce delays and improve accessibility, supported by competent frontline personnel and effective complaint management systems.
The panel, moderated by broadcaster Kafui Dey, brought together public sector leaders from across Africa to discuss customer experience, accountability and service delivery.
Mr Gbagbo reiterated that consumer feedback remained an important tool for improving institutional performance and effective regulation.
GNA
Edited by Kenneth Sackey