Nine OMCs Accused of Diverting Tax-Free Marine Gas Oil
A preliminary investigation by the Alliance for Social Equity and Public Accountability (ASEPA) has exposed a syndicate of nine Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) allegedly engaged in smuggling Marine Gas Oil (MGO) meant for the fishing industry.
According to ASEPA’s Executive Director, Mensah Thompson, these OMCs diverted tax-exempt MGO and sold it at commercial rates while fraudulently pocketing the GHC2.39 per liter tax component.
“The tax component of GHC2.39 is collected at the full benefit of these smugglers,” Thompson revealed.
In 2023 alone, approximately 83.69 million liters of MGO were smuggled, resulting in an estimated GHC200 million in tax evasion. The scale of the operation worsened in 2024, with 139 million liters diverted, leading to over GHC300 million in lost revenue.
ASEPA has announced plans to publish the full list of implicated OMCs and submit their findings to the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) for further investigation and prosecution. The report will also include officials from the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) and the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) suspected of complicity in the scandal.
The OSP is expected to lead efforts in retrieving the lost revenue and holding those involved accountable.