The Adamawa office of the Nigeria Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), yesterday said it renewed the operating licences of about 85% of existing 530 petroleum stations in the state.
The Regional Coordinator, NMDPRA, Sadeeq Ibraheem, while speaking in Yola, explained that the remaining filling stations could not complete the renewal of their licences because they were waiting for tax clearance certificates from the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS).
Ibraheem warned that the Authority will not renew the operating licence of a retail outlet without an accompanying tax clearance certificate, stressing that it will not compromise the basic policy requirements.
He identified some of the challenges facing the Authority to include unnecessary objections from some communities in building new petroleum stations even after all the due processes were observed.
The Coordinator emphasised that NMDPRA had since prohibited the siting of petroleum stations within the radius of 20km to the borders, and all operational licences of stations close to the borders have been suspended.
He said the initiative is aimed at curbing smuggling of petroleum products to Cameroun and other neighbouring border towns, while appreciating the efforts of the Nigerian Customs (NCS) for their support on this issue.
Ibraheem warned independent marketers against diversion of petroleum products, compromising safety measures and pump under-dispensing of the commodity to consumers, stressing it will not hesitate to sanction violators. (NAN)
The Authority will not renew the operating licence of a retail outlet without an accompanying tax clearance certificate.
