She reckoned that this had affected premix fuel supply to all parts of the country but gave an assurance that efforts were being made to improve on the supply issues.

Mrs Koomson, who is also the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament (MP) for Awutu Senya East Constituency in the Central Region, was answering a question asked by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) MP for Pru East in the Bono East Region, Dr Kwabena Donkor, on the floor of Parliament last Thursday.

Dr Donkor wanted to know the steps being taken to streamline the distribution of premix fuel to ensure adequate and equitable distribution to fisherfolk on the Volta Lake, particularly in the Pru East District.

Response

Mrs Koomson said the ministry had been discussing the supply situation with the BDCs to blend more premix fuel for the landing beaches.

"As indicated earlier, the inability of the BDCs to blend the required quantities is responsible for the shortage of premix fuel in these areas," she said.

Press conference

However, Dr Donkor told a press conference later that the stark reality was that the National Premix Secretariat and off-takers of premix owed "these BDCs through the Oil Marketing Companies".

Again, he said the Ghanaian state also owed the BDCs through the subsidiary that was on premix.

"If you owe the people, how are they going to blend sufficient quantities when you are whittling down their working capital," he asked.

He alluded to the fact that the people in the fishing industry were predominantly poor, less powerful and hardworking peasants and that if the state did not support them in the provision of a key fishing input such as premix, then it behoved "all of us to stand up".

Dr Donkor called on the government to take immediate steps to settle all the commercial obligations that it had to settle with the BDCs.