Cheating fuel stations begin compensating customers

SOME of the fuel stations caught cheating their customers have started compensating them in compliance with an agreement with the Chamber of Petroleum Consumers, Ghana (COPEC).

Per the agreement, each of the ten stations nabbed by the Ghana Standard Authority (GSA) during an audit last month, would run a three-day compensation scheme before the end of next month.

This is aside the GH₵5, 000 fine slapped on the stations by the GSA.

The GOIL fuel station at Galilea, in the Greater Accra Region, one of three GOIL outlets busted during the audit, started compensating its customers last Thursday.

Under a campaign dubbed “Loyalty Promo”, the outlet has began giving customers who buy fuel worth GH₵100.00, a free gallon of fuel, estimated to cost about GH₵25.00.

The Goodness Energy, Kasoa, Central Region, told a team from COPEC yesterday during a visit that it would start giving a five per cent discount to its customers by close of day.

The team led by COPEC Executive Secretary, Mr Duncan Amoah’s visit was to get first–hand information about post audit compliance to standards in fuel operations and the compensation mechanisms put in place.

At both the GOIL and Goodness Energy outlets, visited, the team checked if their 10-litre calibration cans, a device used to confirm right quantity of fuel was up to the standard prescribed by the GSA.

Mr Amoah told journalists that the compensation agreement was reached after some stations admitted that the ‘cheating’, was mechanical error and not a deliberate action for which reason customers deserved some rewards.

Asked what would happen to stations that refuse to compensate customers, he said, “In due time, we would advise these customers where to turn to when they want fuel.”

To ensure that customers were not short-changed, he said quantity audits were ongoing across the country, and hoped that such efforts would end the under-delivery of fuel.

Mr Amoah commended GOIL for taking the lead and urged the other stations to take a cue and honour their pledges, while pledging COPEC’s commitment to serve the interest of the public.

The GOIL Zonal Manger-South, Mr Michael Lagble in an interview, said the campaign was to reward its clients who had kept faith and assured customers that GOIL would continue to serve the right quantity of fuel.

Some customers commended GSA for ensuring that the fuel stations were selling the right quantity of fuel to them and also COPEC for fighting for the compensation.

Last month, the GSA, during a routine national fuel measuring device verification exercise, conducted randomly at 65 selected stations in the Greater Accra, Central and Eastern Regions, nabbed ten fuel stations for under-delivering the right quantities of fuel.

They included Shell, Motorway Extension; Total, McCarthy Hill; GOIL, Mile 11; Frimps Oil, Tetegu junction; Frimps Oil, Spintex Road and Glory Oil, Spintex Road, Allied Oil, Sakaman and Shell, Amanfrom West.

COPEC Ghana is a civil society group that advocates the interest of petroleum consumers. Its membership include Association of Ghana Industries (AGI), Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) Industrial and Commercial Workers’ Union (ICU) and Ghana Chamber of Bulk Oil Distribution Companies