NNPC MOVES TO REDUCE PRICE OF KEROSENE

In the determination to get closer to kerosene consumers across the 36 states of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, at the regulated price of N50 per litre, the Nigerian
National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has initiated a scheme aimed at cutting off the several layers of middlemen who make it difficult for the end user to enjoy the subsidy on the product.
This was disclosed in Abuja over the weekend at a one-day workshop organized by the Corporation to enlighten members of some grassroots non-governmental organizations and volunteers drawn from all over the country who have been engaged to help monitor the distribution and sales of the product at NNPC Mega and affiliate stations across the country.
Speaking on the objective of the initiative, the Executive Director Commercial of the Pipeline and Products Marketing Company (PPMC), Mr. Frank Amego, explained that the scheme, ‘Kero Correct’ was aimed at getting kerosene to the Nigerian masses who use the product as their domestic cooking fuel at the correct price.
He observed that though kerosene was the most subsidized product, the Nigerian masses have not been enjoying the subsidy because of the long arbitrage system involved in its distribution and retail, diversion of the product by marketers to the construction industry where it is used for blending bitumen, and the fact that NNPC has no direct control over most of the marketers involved in the distribution and sales of the product.

“The Kero Correct initiative is thus designed to distribute and sell kerosene directly to end users from NNPC Retail mega and affiliate stations across the country at the government-regulated price of N50 per litre to ensure effective control,” Mr. Amego stated.
He assured that PPMC has enough stock of kerosene and that machinery has been put in place to ensure efficient distribution of the product from Lagos and Oghara to NNPC Retail mega and affiliate stations in every nook and cranny of the country.
Also speaking at the event , the General Manager, NNPC Retail, Mr. Ufford Jackson Ibanga, assured that all of the 524 NNPC Retail mega, floating mega and affiliate stations across the country have been keyed up for the Kero Correct scheme.
He explained that the volunteers were being brought into the project to help monitor discharge and sales of the product to serve as an independent feedback system aimed at promoting transparency and ensuring that the product gets to the desired end users.