The Gambia Public Utilities Regulatory Authority PURA, have sanctioned one of the leading oil companies in The Gambia ‘Jah Oil’ for allegedly breaking its compliance laws and deliberately constructing Petrol Stations in densely populated areas like Weligara, Kairaba Avenue and other residential areas without permit. 

Below reads the full statement.

ENFORCEMENT ACTION AGAINST JAH OIL

 The Authority wishes to inform the General Public that following monitoring exercises regarding the construction and operation of Petrol Stations, Enforcement Action has been taken against JAH OIL for illegally constructing and operating petrol stations following directives from The Authority relating to the unsuitability of the identified sites as per the current regulations. The Authority over numerous instances has explained the legal requirements to obtain valid construction permits before the commencement of new or major modifications to stations as per the Petroleum Products Act, 2016 and Service Station Regulations, 2018. These legal statutes detail the relevant safety and site location criteria required to guide the approval of any new developments. 

The Authority is satisfied that following numerous correspondences and investigations on this matter, Jah Oil Company Limited despite operating in a regulated sector deliberately and recklessly violates applicable laws by failing to comply with the legal requirements of obtaining a Construction Permit and refusing to comply with the Authority’s directives.

Having weighed in the totality of facts surrounding this issue and for want of sanity and compliance in the regulated sector, the Authority determines the following against Jah Oil Company as follows: –

 

  1. To pay a fine of GMD D200,000.00 (Two Hundred Thousand Dalasi) for deliberately constructing a petrol station in Wellingara without the required permit from the Authority. 

 

  1. To pay a fine of GMD D200,000.00 (Two Hundred Thousand Dalasi) for deliberately constructing a petrol station on Kairaba Avenue without the required permit from the Authority. 

 

  1. To pay a fine of GMD D500,000.00 (Five Hundred Thousand Dalasi) for deliberately failing to comply with the Authority’s Directive pertaining to Badala Basse and a further sum of D25,000.00 (Twenty-five Thousand Dalasis after the expiration of this notice for as long as this contravention persists.  

 

  1. JAH OIL is further directed to stop all illegal construction in Wellingara and Kairaba Avenue forthwith and comply with the requirements of the Petroleum Products Service Stations Regulations 2018.

Efforts to contact the CEO and management of Jah Oil to share their side of the story proved futile.

 

By: Fatoumatta Samateh