By Michael Eboh
The Department of Petroleum Resources, DPR, Wednesday, said it will partner with petroleum products depot owners and oil marketers to achieve the Federal Government’s programme for the downstream petroleum industry.
In a statement, signed by its Head Public Affairs, Mr. Paul Osu, the DPR identified the government’s downstream programme and aspirations to include price freedom, optimum petroleum products distribution network, petroleum products supply sufficiency and curbing of petroleum products cross border leakages.
Speaking during the visit of members of the Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria, DAPPMAN, to DPR in Lagos, Director of Petroleum Resources, Mr. Sarki Auwalu, also outlined four cardinal focus for downstream operations, as parts of efforts to continue to enable business and create opportunities in the oil and gas sector.
He listed the four focus areas as quality for product assurance and customer satisfaction; quantity for transparency, value for money and consumer protection; safety for personnel/assets and public safety; and integrity for investment protection and business continuity.
Auwalu added that with the ministerial declaration of 2020 as ‘Year of Gas’, a new world of alternative fuels and investment opportunities had been created.
He encouraged DAPPMAN executive officers to avail themselves of these opportunities and partner with DPR to enable value creation for investors and government.
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The DPR added that the DPR had developed a Gas Business Incentives and Support Programme (GBISP) to drive gas expansion and penetration.
According to him, key strategic initiatives, such as implementation of the gas network code programme to encourage gas-based industries’, GBI, support for duty waivers consideration for equipment, tools and materials for downstream gas facilities, streamlined registration for Liquefied Petroleum Gas, LPG, resellers and the ongoing gas commercialisation programme have been put in place to achieve the GBISP.
Also speaking, Chairman of DAPPMAN, Dame Winifred Akpani, commended the Department for its robust regulatory initiatives and engagements with stakeholders in the oil and gas sector which has created the enabling environment for their businesses.
She said that DAPPMAN would continue to provide support for government policies especially in its drive for price freedom in the downstream sector.
