A Central laboratory which would promote fairness whenever disputes arise in ascertaining the quality or otherwise of petroleum products in the country was on Wednesday launched in Accra.

The establishment of the Central laboratory is in conformity with the Legislative Instrument (LI 2187) which relates to the implementation of Petroleum Products Marking Scheme (PPMS).

The PPMS which began two years ago, seeks to ensure quality petroleum products for consumers, promote fair business competition, increase tax base and revenue for the country.

The concepts of petroleum products marking involve the introduction of a fuel marker into petroleum products at the loading depots prior to delivery of products to the retail outlets.

Speaking at the launch, Mr Moses Asaga Chief Executive Officer of the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) in a speech read on his behalf noted that in 2013, the PPMS recorded violations of more than 32 per cent at various outlets throughout the country.

“As we speak violations has reduced from 32 per cent to two per cent signifying the effective nature of the PPMS programme,” he recounted.

He commended the various stakeholders in the petroleum sector for that achievement.

According to him, statistics available showed that quality of fuel on the market today was better than what prevailed before the introduction of the PPMS programme.

“The quality of fuel in the country today is the finest in the West African sub region,” he noted.

Mr Jacob Amuah, Technical Director of NPA, noted that with the introduction of the marking scheme, the nation has saved GH¢ 72 million.

Mr Frank Kofi Nagetey, acting Executive Director of Ghana Standard Authority (GSA), said the Authority’s mission was to promote standardization for the improvement of quality of goods, services and sound management practices in industries and public institution.

According to Mr Negatey, that explained why the Authority collaborated with regulatory bodies including the NPA to achieve a national goal of ensuring safety and quality of product as well as protect the health and environment.

Mr Negatey said the nation need to protect quality in a realistic manner by ensuring at all times that “we are entrenching the culture of unadulterated petroleum products in our society.”

He explained that the purpose of the marking scheme was to enable the NPA and the GSA to monitor not only quality of petroleum products but to recover fiscal tax revenue which would have been lost through the diversion of petroleum products and prevent the effect of interfering with products quality and reduce smuggling.

“The Implementation of the scheme which is already ongoing will ensure that the state obtains the expected revenue from petroleum products while at the same time consumers get clean as well as unadulterated fuel,” he added

The acting Executive Director therefore called on all stakeholders in the petroleum sector to operate in a manner that would bring about not only quality but safety as well.

Mr Kwaku Agyemang Duah, Industry Coordinator, Association of Oil Marketing Companies (OMC’s), noted that companies were apprehensive when the PPMS was introduced but members now have confidence in the scheme.

He said it was time for consumers to know quality of fuel and not how cheap they were.

Mr Duah said the OMC’s would be grateful to see a reduction of the two per cent violation of petroleum products to zero in the coming years.