DPR warns P’Harcourt fuel dealers against sharp practices

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WORRIED by the complaints from members of the public over alleged sharp practices by some owners of fuel depots and filling stations, the Department of Petroleum Resources has warned petroleum dealers selling above official pump prices to desist from such an act.

The Port Harcourt zone of the DPR reminded petroleum product marketers and depot operators in the state that while premium motor spirit (petrol) should be sold for N87 per litre, the pump price for kerosene remained N50 per litre.

The DPR’s Head of Public Affairs in the zone, Mrs. Carol Bello, cautioned that the DPR would seal off filling stations found to be selling fuel above the official prices while erring depot owners would have the lifting of fuel at their depots suspended.

Bello, who spoke through a statement issued in Port Harcourt on Wednesday, said, “Within the past few days, officers of the Department of Petroleum Resources, Port Harcourt, have not relented in ensuring that petroleum product marketers as well as depot operators comply with the Federal Government approved price regimes of N87 per litre of PMS (petrol), N50.00 per litre of DPK (kerosene) and N77.66 per litre of PMS respectively.”

She recalled that several retail outlets/filling stations were visited recently, out of which many were sealed due to various offences ranging from profiteering, hoarding, denying DPR officials access to facilities/stations thereby prohibiting them from carrying out their statutory functions.

Bello noted that despite the efforts made by the agency, several complaints had been received from the public regarding the activities of some unscrupulous operators in the value chain.

“The DPR, Port Harcourt, is therefore, working round the clock in collaboration with security agencies to ensure that our primary task as regulators of the oil and gas sector is achieved.

“The DPR is also working to ensure that the citizenry receives value from the unrelenting efforts of the Federal Government aimed at ensuring not only the availability of petroleum products, but also their delivery at the approved standards and prices, hence the elaborate surveillance activities being currently intensified.

Source: Punch