Govt to check abuses in deregulation policy

Fomena (Ash), April 20, GNA - Mr K.T. Hammond, the Deputy Minister of Energy, has said government would ensure that the deregulation of the petroleum sector was not abused.

''To this end the government intends to put before parliament a bill that will regulate the activities of private companies as well as oil marketing companies.''

Answering questions at the People's Assembly at Fomena in the Adansi North District Mr Hammond said the Act, to be known as the National Petroleum Authority Act, would ensure that the system was not taken for a ride and consumers were not cheated. The Deputy Minister explained that the ex-pump price would depend on the tender price.

Companies would be at liberty to sell below this price but what they could not do was to sell above the maximum ex-pump price. Mr Sampson Kwaku Boafo, the Ashanti Regional Minister, expressed concern about the way people were not taking the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) seriously.

He said there was no reason why some people should politicise the scheme intended to improve health delivery in the country. Mr Boafo said bad governance accounted for the slow pace of development in the country and that ''is why good governance has become one of the major policies of the President John Agyekum Kufuor's administration.''