That, he said, nearly occurred due to violations of the regulatory framework by several Petroleum Service Providers (PSPs), who diverted loaded products from depots.

"Such supplies of petroleum products to unlicensed PSPs have fueled adulteration and contamination of petroleum product." Dr Hamid disclosed this at the opening of the 6th Ghana International Petroleum Conference (GHIPCON), in Accra, on Wednesday.

Held on the theme: “The Petroleum Downstream: Building a Future for Growth, Efficiency, and Sustainability,” the two- day conference brought together local, regional and international petroleum downstream experts, leaders, and innovators.

The key objective was to discuss the regulatory frameworks and other related issues in Ghana's downstream petroleum sector.

It was organised by the NPA in collaboration with the Chamber of Bulk Oil Distributors (CBOD), the Association of Oil Marketing Companies (AOMC), and the Ministry of Energy.

He said the PSPs and other individuals usually falsified documents to cover the consignments, adding that such practices and misrepresentations led to wrongful claims on the UPPF fund and distorted national consumption statistics.

By Benjamin A. Commey/Jibril Abdul Mumuni