OVER-AGED VEHICLES TO BE BANNED (Back page) 10-06-09

Story: Kofi Yeboah & Francis Yaw Kyei

THE importation of vehicles aged more than 10 years is to be banned as part of government measures to reduce wastage in fuel consumption, a Deputy Minister of Energy, Dr Kwabena Donkor, has hinted.
According to him, 30 per cent of fuel imported into the country was wasted, and old vehicles, particularly in traffic situations, were responsible for a high chunk of the wastage.
Interacting with journalists in Accra on Monday, Dr Donkor said the nation could no longer afford to waste fuel of that magnitude vis-a-vis the substantial increase in petroleum prices.
Currently, the importation of vehicles aged more than 10 years attract a penalty, the essence of which is to discourage the importation of such vehicles.
Last weekend, the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) announced a 30 per cent increment in petroleum products.
Dr Donkor explained that the 30 per cent increase in petroleum prices was the result of a huge debt inherited by his ministry.
He said that debt, in addition to the GH¢11.46 million debt of the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR), “has left the Energy Ministry in a very tight financial situation”.
Dr Donkor said the Government paid GH¢7 million to TOR as subsidies to maintain fuel prices in May, but that could last for only two weeks, adding that the Government could no longer pay for those subsidies due to lack of funds.
He denied assertions that President Mills promised to reduce fuel prices to GH¢2, and explained that the President rather promised to reduce fuel tax by 20 per cent.
Dr Donkor said the Energy Ministry had fulfilled that promise, pointing out that fuel prices would have increased further if fuel taxes had not been reduced.
He entreated Ghanaians to have confidence in the Government and gave the assurance that government would do its best to keep the current economic situation under control.