The General Transport Petroleum Chemical Workers Union (GTPCWU) has announced its intention to embark on a series of actions, including picketing at the Jubilee House, in support of its call for the revamping of the refinery.
Mr. Bernard Owusu, National Chairman of the General Transport Petroleum Chemical Workers Union (GTPCWU), announcing this in a press conference at the forecourt of TOR, said the industrial actions would precede the May Day celebrations.
Mr. Owusu expressed concern that the refinery, which has the capacity to refine 45,000 barrels of crude oil per day, is only carrying finished products instead of fulfilling its core mandate of refining crude.
He questioned why Ghana has crude oil and yet TOR could not get crude to refine, adding that, almost all the companies created by Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah Ghana’s First President has collapsed.
He said TOR workers would not allow that to happen to the refinery.
The National Chairman reminded the government that if TOR was working at full capacity, it would supply the country with 50 percent of its overall domestic consumption, provide 100 percent of the residual fuel oil (RFO) for industrial operations, provide 20 to 25 percent of LPG consumption, and provide 100 percent of Aviation Turbine Kerosene (ATK).
He said that on average, Ghana required about $ 4.8 billion to import petroleum products per year.
If TOR was producing, the Forex requirement for petroleum product imports would significantly reduce by over 50 percent.
He concluded that revamping TOR to work at full capacity would also lower the financing charges as these transactions were cedi denominated.
