Nigeria: DPR Indicates New Policies for Petrol Retail Network
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Wednesday, 19 November 2008 |
The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) outlines the introduction
of new policy on the downstream oil sector operation at IPMAN annual
Meeting..
Addressing the annual IPMAN meeting, the DPR Director, Mr. Aliu
Sabonbrini, represented by his Assistant Director in charge of Retail
Marketing, Mr. Alphonsus Mudai, said that the Nigerian economy would
have performed better if aside from infrastructure inadequacy and
decay, there had been steady and stable supply and prices of petroleum
products and gas.
According to him, notwithstanding the relationship between the
downstream sector and the economy, the DPR approach and attitude
towards the management of the business aggravates the problem rather
than help to improve the economy saying "it is also of note that the
manner we go about transporting, storing and distributing the products
and siting and maintaining storage facilities leaves too much vacant
space for comfort and hence calls for improvement".
To ensure that the citing and operation of new service stations are
safe and conform to the laws, he said "the DPR will from year 2009
among other requirements, demand for contractor DPR accreditation
permit, oil and gas equipment supplier permit and tank fabrication DPR
accreditation permit.
"Also that the DPR will request all ATC holders and service station
owners to inform the nearest DPR office of any activity within 400
metres radius of their facility that is deemed likely to be related to
siting of refueling facility".
This, he said, is "because grant of licences, whether new or renewal,
will be dependent upon the co-operation received from marketers towards
minimising violation of minimum distance requirement. The department
will also embark on enlightenment campaign in the electronic and print
media on the requirements of the siting, construction and operation of
service stations".
According to him, the expected new policy include that only DPR
accredited consultants with permits will act as agents/contractors to
build filling stations, supply oil and gas equipment to marketers and
fabricate storage tanks. In addition to that, marketers will be
required to submit copies of quality and quantity certificates of their
products on demand while Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) will be
conducted twice before construction of any petrol station starts - viz
dry season report and rainy season report.
PetrolWorld 181108 Source: Local Business Media
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