By Laudia Sawer
Tema, Sept. 7, GNA – The Canoe and Fishing Gear Owners Association of Ghana (CaFGOAG) has expressed the hope that the introduction of the automated premix fuel distribution system will solve irregularities associated with the commodity’s distribution.
Nana Kweigyah, the President of CaFGOAG, commended the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development (MoFAD) and the National Premix Fuel Secretariat (NPFS) for the initiative as well as the monitoring system.
On Tuesday, September 5, Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia commissioned the automated system, designed to allow fishers to purchase premix fuel directly using their bio-contained identity cards linked to their canoes.
Nana Kweigyah told the Ghana News Agency in Tema that premix fuel distribution at the landing beaches was fraught with irregularities that had become almost the norm and manifested in the hoarding of the commodity.
“Some of those people who hoard the premix fuel do not own canoes but get easy access to the commodity, which they later sell to fishermen at prices higher than government-stipulated price,” he said.
“With the introduction of the automated system, canoe and gear owners are confident that such irregularities will stop.”
He said it was important for MoFAD and the NPFS to have a relook at the formation of the landing beach committees (LBCs) to bring sanity to the management and distribution of premix fuel.
The distribution at the landing beaches was done by the LBCs, comprising the chief fisherman as the chairman, representatives of canoe owners, fishmongers, and the district assembly, and a fisherman nominated by the Ministry in consultation with the district assembly, Nana Kweigyah said.
The committee was required to have a secretary and pump attendant, he said, however, due to the non-adherence to the Legislative Instrument 2233, the landing beach committees were formed without the appropriate representation as specified in the instrument.
“In most cases, the identifiable groups mentioned in the L.I. 2233 do not know who represents them at the LBCs because they are not involved in the selection of the representatives.”
That, he said, undermined accountability, transparency, and effective management of the distribution of premix fuel.
Nana Kweigyah, therefore, called on the National Premix Fuel Secretariat to adhere strictly to the provisions establishing the LBCs specified in L.I. 2233 to ensure effective representation.
He urged all canoe and net owners to join CaFGOAG to make the association stronger in all fishing communities to ensure effective management and distribution of premix fuel at the landing beaches.
GNA