Safety inspections of fuel filling stations across the country will be done four times in a year from next year, the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) has announced.

Currently, the GSA embarks on inspection visit to these stations twice a year but it hopes to increase that to four times in a year, Deputy Director-General in charge of General Service at the GSA said.

He explained that the visits would afford the GSA the opportunity to ascertain whether gas and fuel stations are adhering to the safety standards as required under the law.

Dr. Adusei was reacting to a press conference held by the Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) on the closure of some fuel and gas stations in the country triggered by the the recent gas explosions at the Atomic Junction in Accra last Saturday.

The Association of Oil Marketing Companies (AOMC) on Thursday appealed to the government to undertake a thorough examination of the Atomic Junction Gas explosion before it comes out with a national policy on fire outbreaks at the pumps.

CEO of AOMC, Kwaku Agyemang-Duah, urged the government not to succumb to panic reactions from a section of the public, but come out with a holistic policy.

“The unparalleled marauding, demonstrations against some legitimate retail outlets and hitting the panic button “exemplified” by the wanton closure of retail outlets in a rambo style by some unrepentant MMDCEs in an industry regulatory by specific bodies, is unwarranted and must be condemned with all the attempt it deserves,” he said.

Four inspections in a year

Commenting on that on TV3’s New Day Friday, Dr Poku said “by next year, we shall be moving towards four times inspections a year. We have two times inspections a year now but by next year we shall be moving to inspections four times a year”.

He explained that “when such incidence happens, there is a tendency that people will press the panic bottom so the government is not going to take a knee-jerk reaction to this”.

A Lawyer and a member of the National Democratic Congress Communications Team, Abraham Amaliba, said “the OMCs should know that we are not in normal times so desperate measures will be taking to curtail this.

“They should understand that this is not the Christmas time and they have the opportunity to go to court and challenge the actions” of closing down fuel stations. He explained: “The law is made for man, not man for law so we must prosecute criminals to serve as deterrent”.