The Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) has inaugurated its branch of the General Transport Petroleum and Chemical Work Union (GTPCWU) of TUC with a call on the government to provide the refinery with the needed crude to operate.

Bernard Owusu, National Chairman of the GTPCWU, told the Ghana News Agency on the sidelines of the inauguration that the refinery is facing a number of challenges including getting inadequate crude to refine.

Mr. Owusu explained that currently, TOR has the arrangement to do third party refining which he noted does not allow the refinery to derive 100 percent profit from its activities.

He added that when TOR is able to refine its own crude oil and at its full capacity, it will provide Ghanaians with cheaper petroleum products.

He urged the refinery staff not to be downhearted because of the challenges but rather continue to work hand-in-hand with management to ensure that TOR bounces back to its original mandate.