The Chief Executive Officer of the National Petroleum Authority, Mr. Godwin Kudzo Tameklo, has inaugurated a 16-member multi-stakeholder Bitumen Technical Committee to spearhead the development of a comprehensive regulatory framework for Ghana’s bitumen industry.
The committee has been tasked with formulating policies and regulations to govern the quality, importation, storage, transportation, distribution and use of bitumen, a key material in road construction and maintenance across the country.
The move comes as part of efforts by the NPA to strengthen oversight of the sector and ensure that bitumen products used in Ghana’s road infrastructure projects meet the required standards.
Although the bitumen industry has operated in Ghana for several years and remains critical to the country’s road development agenda, there is currently no dedicated regulatory framework to guide its operations.
The newly inaugurated committee will be chaired by Mr. Abass Tasunti, Director of Economic Regulation and Planning at the NPA, while Ms. Bridgette A. Turkson, Acting Director of the Authority’s Licensing Directorate, will serve as Co-Chair.
Membership of the committee comprises representatives from key directorates of the NPA, including Quality Assurance, Licensing, Inspections, Monitoring and Health, Safety and Environment (HSE), as well as Economic Regulation and Planning.
Representatives from major stakeholder institutions such as the Ghana Highways Authority, Ghana Standards Authority, Ghana Revenue Authority and the Ministry of Roads and Highways are also serving on the committee.
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, Mr. Tameklo underscored the importance of establishing a robust regulatory regime for the bitumen industry, noting that the committee’s work would help ensure that both locally produced and imported bitumen conform to approved quality standards.
He expressed confidence that the committee’s recommendations would contribute significantly to enhancing quality assurance, promoting industry best practices and supporting the delivery of durable road infrastructure across the country.
