BrandiQ Reports
The fuel crisis in Nigeria has lingered for months creating untold hardship to Nigerians. In a bid to find a solution to it the President Mohammadu Buhari called for a Council of State meeting – part of which agenda is to deliberate on sundry issues concerning the country including the upcoming election, the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, policy on the naira redesesign, and fuel scarcity among others. Meanwhile, the Federal Government has ordered filling station operators across the country to start accepting the use of Point of Sales (POS) machines and bank transfers for the purchase of petroleum products, threatening to sanction them for non-compliance.
This is as the government has commenced the deployment of security agencies to filling stations across the country to enforce the use of these POS machines and bank transfers at their various outlets.
This was made known on Thursday in a statement issued by General Manager, Corporate Communications and Stakeholders Management, Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Kimchi Apollo, in Abuja, directing all retail outlets to ensure the free use of POS and bank transfer for the sale of petroleum products to alleviate the suffering of customers at this critical time.
NMDPRA in a statement said that the move became necessary following reports that some filling stations were rejecting POS machines and bank transfers from customers despite the severe cash crunch currently nationwide.
Filling stations rejecting POS
The statement partly reads, “It has come to the attention of the NMDPRA that some retail outlets are not accepting the use of Point of Sale machines at their filling stations due to the recent cash crunch brought about by the new naira redesign.
“The authority frowns at this recent behaviour which is causing untold hardship for Nigerians at a time when all hands should be on deck to assist the government in the transition to the new naira.
“All retail outlets are directed to ensure the free use of POS and bank transfer for the sale of petroleum products to alleviate the suffering of customers at this critical time.”
NMDPRA to enforce the directive, sanction defaulters
The NMDPRA said it would work with law enforcement agencies to enforce the use of POS machines and acceptance of cash transfers at retail outlets, stressing that oil marketers who flout the directive would be dealt with.
It stated, “The authority and security agencies will be at retail outlets to ensure compliance with this directive and any filling station found violating this directive will be duly sanctioned.
“We reassure the general public of our commitment to ensuring good quality service in the sale and distribution of petroleum products nationwide.”
