Price Hike: DPR Cautions Marketers, Depot Owners

Authorities of the Depart
ment of Petroleum Resources (DPR), have revealed that the prevailing hike in retail prices of PMS and Dual Purpose Kerosene (DPK) across the country is as a result of the unscrupulous activities of some depot owners and major marketers.
DPR accused the depot owners and some major marketers of selling PMS and DPK to various retailers at price higher than the official ex-depot price of N77.66k and N34.51k respectively.
A statement by DPR Deputy Manager, Communications, George Ene-Ita which stated this, said consequent up this development, DPR has vowed to go after the erring depots and marketers.
The statement said, DPR had summoned members of the Depot and Petroleum Products Marketing Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN), Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN) and Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) to a meeting on the issue.
According to the Deputy Director, resulting from a meeting held Wednesday in Lagos between DPR and all stakeholders in the downstream sector of the petroleum sector, PPMC, PPPRA, MOMAN, DAPPMAN and IPMAN which was summoned to convey government’s displeasure at the illegal sale of petrol above the stipulated pump price and the attendant long queues at filling stations, DPR hereby issues suspension of direct sales of PMS and DPK from the affected Depots and marketers.
“To check the unprincipled activities of these depot owners and the major marketers in this regard and to prevent further imposition of hardship on the general public, the DPR is resolved to take immediate steps to directly supervise the sale of PMS and DPK from these affected depots in order to ensure that appropriate pricing is strictly adhered to”.
“The immediate setting up of a special DPR task force on supervision and  monitoring of product sales from the affected depots with powers to undertake the sale of products from these depots”, he said, adding that the task force would liaise with the PPMC, PPRA and law enforcement agencies.
According to Ene-Ita, the DPR special task force shall issue directives and guidelines to the general public on the procedure for the enforcement of the supervised sales throughout the period of the exercise until normalcy returns to the sector.
He advised depots, marketers and operators in the sector to strictly abide by the official pricing regime to avoid DPR sanctions which might include the activation of all conditions that may lead to the denial of any marketer from further participation in the PSF scheme and withdrawal of licenses of a facility.

Chris Oluoh