By: Yunus S Saliu
Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) has shutdown twelve retail petrol stations for failing to regularize their licensing status in accordance to Section 6(2) of the Petroleum Products, 2016 which prohibits a person from “petroleum products supply operations without obtaining a license under the Act.”
PURA issued the directive on Friday the 9thof February at a press conference on Petroleum Sector held at it head office on Kairaba Avenue.
The twelve petrol (retail) stations that were shutdown includes; Demba Doo, Halal Oil, Marigo Oil, Kamanka Oil, Sandale Oil, Kairawan Bridge, SAM Petrol Station, Drammeh Oil, Dibba Oil, Kusata Oil, Jallow Oil, and Alhagi Momodou Yaya Jallow.
Under the Petroleum Products Act and regulatory mandate, Ansumana Sanneh, the Managing Director of PURA stated that “Section 5(4) (g) mandates PURA to receive, evaluate and process all applications for the granting, renewal as well as assignment, suspension or revocation of licenses in accordance with the Act and Regulations made under it and other applicable laws.’”
From 2017 up to date, he said that numerous press released have been issued by both the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy as well as PURA to inform the general public most especially actors within the downstream in the petroleum sector on the requirement to obtain authorization pursuit to the provisions of the Act.
More so, “PURA has organized several Stakeholders’ engagements with the current operators in the sector ranging from importers, Oil Marketing Companies (OMC) to bulk transporters.”
MD Sanneh added that a press released which served as a reminder to all service stations about the legal requirement to obtain a license to ensure their continued operations was issued on 9th of January, 2019 by Ministry of Petroleum and Energy while the authority as well held Stakeholders meeting with the owners of the OMCs in The Gambia to inform them about the final deadline.
The PURA Managing Director among other things used the press briefing to urge all non-licensed retail petroleum stations to regularize their licensing status in order to operate legally in the vibrant petroleum sector.