By: Kebba AF Touray
The Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA), on Friday February 8th 2019, suspended eleven petrol stations, following their failure to regularize their license status. This development was disclosed at a Press briefing at the Authority’s main office along Kairaba Avenue.
Ansumana Sanneh, the Director General of PURA, stressed that the decision was reached following the failure of the suspended stations, to regularize their license status, despite the numerous engagements made by the authority for the stations to comply with Section 6 (2) of the Petroleum Act 2016.
Sanneh said PURA and the Petroleum Ministry have issued numerous press releases to inform the general public especially actors within the downstream petroleum sector, on the requirement needed to obtain authorization (License) pursuant to the provision of the Act. “In addition, PURA organized several stakeholders’ engagements and meetings with the current operators in the sector, ranging from importers, oil marketing Companies and bulk transporters, to brief them on their obligations as well as our roles in regulating the sector in terms of licensing,” Sanneh said; that on 9th January 2019, the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy issued a final press release further reminding petrol service stations of the legal requirement to obtain a license to ensure their continued operations, with 31st January 2019 as the deadline; that failure of this compliance, will lead to the closure of all non-compliant stations.
“On 1st February 2019, PURA dispatched legal notice to non-compliant service stations to regularize their license status by 7th February 2019, or risk being shut down. PURA also embarked on a nation-wide engagement of all provisional stations from the 1st to 3rd February 2019, to remind station owners of their obligations under the Law”, he stressed; that in light of the above, the authority on Friday 8th February 2019, convened a press conference wherein the eleven petrol stations were suspended from operations, until they regularize their license status. Sanneh gave the names of the eleven suspended stations as: Demba Doo, Halal Oil, Marigo Oil, Kamanka Oil, Sandale Oil, Kairawan Bridge, Sam Petrol Station, Drammeh Oil, Dibba Oil, Jallow Oil and Alhagi Momodou Yaya Jallow.
“PURA takes this opportunity to strongly urge all non-license retail petroleum stations, to regularize their licensing status in order to operate legally in the petroleum sector”, he concludes.
