Ghana’s National Petroleum Authority (NPA) says it has licensed about 93 per cent of the more than 4,000 Bulk Road Vehicles (BRVs) used to transport petroleum products, following concerns raised in the 2025 Auditor-General’s report.
NPA Chief Executive Godwin Edudzi Tameklo disclosed this when he appeared before Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) to respond to issues concerning the Authority’s operations.
The Auditor-General’s report questioned why the NPA had licensed only 2,514 out of more than 4,000 BRVs, commonly known as fuel tankers, while allowing unlicensed vehicles to continue distributing petroleum products.
Mr. Tameklo explained that licensing was essential for monitoring and tracking fuel tankers, but said the Authority had to balance regulatory enforcement with the need to ensure a steady supply of petroleum products across the country.
He told the committee that Ghana had nearly 5,000 petroleum retail outlets but just over 4,000 BRVs, making it necessary to ensure that enforcement measures did not disrupt distribution.
“What we’ve done prior to this audit is to ensure a balancing act – whilst ensuring regulation, how do we also ensure that petroleum products ultimately get to people?” he said.
The NPA chief executive noted that enforcing compliance was easier in Accra than in other parts of the country.
However, he said the authority could monitor the movement of petroleum products through freight cost claims.
Mr. Tameklo said the Authority had intensified efforts to license the remaining vehicles following the concerns raised in the audit report, bringing the reported licensing rate to 93 per cent.
He added that the remaining seven per cent of the vehicles had been taken off the road, with their owners directed to take the necessary steps to obtain licences before resuming operations.
However, a representative of the Auditor-General told the committee that although the NPA had reported the 93 per cent figure, the auditors had not yet verified it.
PAC Chairperson Abena Osei-Asare welcomed the reported progress and stressed the importance of ensuring that audit findings resulted in practical improvements.
“The audit must lead to action,” she said.
