By: Kebba AF Touray
Members of the National Assembly are scheduled to deliberate on a motion which seeks to establish a Commission on 36,953.614 metric tons of petroleum products illegally imported into the Gambia.
The petroleum products are valued at US$30,000,000.00 or approximately two billion and ten million Gambian Dalasi (D2,010,000,000).
This development is featured in the Order Paper of the Assembly for today, Monday 22 July 2024, which will be preceded by the consideration of Criminal Procedure Bill, 2020.
The said motion from the member for Lower Saloum came after the Member for Niamina Dankunku, Hon Samba Jallow, put a parliamentary question to the Energy and Petroleum Minister, Nani Juwara, on Wednesday, 3 July 2024, on the issue of the petroleum products.
In his question, Hon. Jallow asked Minister Juwara to explain to them the expected destination of a cargo of 36,935.614 metric tons of petroleum valued at US$30 Million landed on the shore of Gambian waters in 2023. He further asked the Minister to further explain where the product was off loaded or stored, and how the sale of the product was conducted.
In his response, Minister Juwara said the Gam-petroleum received gasoil or diesel that originated from Turkey and that according to the certificate of origin, the cargo was submitted to the depot.
The cargo, he said, was gasoil or diesel discharged in the name of Apogee on 21st of May 2023, from a tanker vessel named MT Pericus, with total quantity of about 14, 338 metric tons of fuel, adding that on 1st of August 2023, another vessel named MT Bruno delivered 9,485.830 metric tons of gasoil. He said on the 1st of September 2023, another Tanker vessel called MT Baldo, delivered 5,646.67 metric tons, “totaling 29,473.763 metric tons of diesel.”
Mr. Juwara said the selling of the product was conducted entirely by the international trader and not by Gam petroleum, adding that it was the trader who released the orders for the buyer or buyers (Oil Marketing Companies) on the quantity to be purchased. He said it is also important to note that this trading took place at the tank’s base within the bonded warehouse concept.
On his part, the Member for Lower Saloum asked the Minister whether he was aware that there was some illegal use of the said petroleum products as outlined in a written document from PURA.
Minister Juwara said two companies registered in the Gambia (not oil trading companies) applied for license for the importation of petroleum products into the country, adding their financial statements were required by PURA.
“So when they submitted to PURA, the Regulatory Agency realized that there were funds in their financial statements which showed that they were already trading petroleum products in the country without a proper license,” the minister said.
He said PURA has already taken the necessary administrative steps towards this. This, he said, is illegal within the PURA Act, but said they have not yet come up with any recommendation at the level of the Ministry.
