The Chamber of Oil Marketing Companies (COMAC) has pledged to vigorously oppose any policy that could harm local businesses operating within Ghana’s downstream petroleum sector.
This warning is a direct response to the cylinder recirculation model (CRM) introduced by the previous administration, which COMAC argues did not benefit local industry players.
In an interview at the recent Downstream Dialogue 2025, organized by COMAC, Board Chairman Gabriel Kumi stated that the Chamber is awaiting the new government’s position on the CRM.
“A new government has just taken office, and the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) has a new Chief Executive Officer. With a new minister in place, there has been no clear push on CRM yet. Based on past actions, we had to strongly defend our investments and the over 12,000 Ghanaians we employ,” Kumi remarked.
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He continued, “We are still waiting to meet with the political leaders at NPA to understand the direction of CRM. It’s clear, though, that the old approach hasn’t worked and won’t work. While we respect the government’s right to implement policies, those policies should not threaten the investments of ordinary Ghanaians.”
In 2024, the NPA announced plans to implement the long-anticipated cylinder recirculation model. The CRM is an LPG marketing model involving filling cylinders at large refilling plants and distributing the filled cylinders to consumers through specialized retail outlets known as exchange points. Consumers can exchange their empty cylinders for filled ones at these exchange points under the CRM.
The Chamber of Oil Marketing Companies
The Chamber of Oil Marketing Companies (COMAC) is a private industry chamber initiated by oil marketing operators in Ghana. We serve as an advocacy institution, working to influence downstream policy, legislation, and regulation while pursuing research to promote the sector’s development.
Representing the collective interests of companies involved in oil marketing and petroleum products in Ghana, COMAC coordinates with key industry stakeholders, including:
• Ministry of Energy
• Ministry of Finance
• Bank of Ghana
• National Petroleum Authority (NPA)
• The Energy Commission
• Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
• Tema Oil Refinery (TOR)
• Ghana Standards Authority (GSA)
• Ghana Fire Service
• Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA)
• Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation Co. Ltd (BOST)
The oil marketing companies operated informally for many years before formally registering as the Association of Oil Marketing Companies (AOMCs) in October 2003, with the adoption of a constitution by all members.
The Association is led by a Chief Executive Officer, referred to as the Industry Coordinator, and overseen by a Governing Board composed of representatives from both OMCs (Oil Marketing Companies) and LPGMCs (Liquefied Petroleum Gas Marketing Companies).
