The Chamber of Bulk Oil Distributors (CBOD) has raised serious concerns over recent disruptions in Ghana’s laycan scheduling for petroleum product imports, warning that the situation could threaten national fuel security and undermine business confidence across the downstream sector.
Speaking on the Asaase Breakfast Show on Monday, 30 June, CBOD Chief Executive Officer, Patrick Kwaku Ofori, described the challenges confronting importers due to infrastructural limitations and irregularities in the scheduling system.
“We don’t have the luxury of a modern facility that can take huge volumes and big vessels and can also allow multiple vessels to berth at the same time,” Ofori lamented.
“There were also cargoes that came in which were not on the laycan, and that we felt was not right.”
He noted that such irregularities disrupt the flow of operations for licensed distributors and erode trust within the industry.
The laycan, a contractual window that determines when a cargo must be loaded or discharged, is vital to coordinating deliveries and avoiding port congestion or financial penalties.
Ofori emphasized the need for transparency in the scheduling process and welcomed ongoing efforts to involve the private sector in policy reform.
“That transparency and the changes now… any changes that happen will be thrown back at industry for all of us to know,” he assured.
