The Chamber for Oil Marketing Companies (COMAC) is calling for improved technological coordination within Ghana’s petroleum supply chain following a recent petroleum supply disruption in Ghana that affected fuel distribution at some depots.
Chief Executive Officer of COMAC, Dr Riverson Oppong, said the incident exposed gaps in the interaction between key digital systems used to manage petroleum imports and distribution across the downstream sector.
Speaking on the issue, Dr Oppong clarified that the disruption was not caused by the Integrated Customs Management System (ICUMS), as earlier suggested by some industry players.
“The issue was not with ICUMS, but with the Enterprise Relational Database Management System (ERDMS).
"The ERDMS quickly triggered a solution to the problem, so while there was an issue, it has now been resolved.” - Dr Riverson Oppong.
Technical glitch linked to ERDMS
According to Dr Oppong, the Enterprise Relational Database Management System, which manages depot offloading processes for petroleum products, experienced a technical issue that temporarily affected operations.
However, he noted that the system was able to activate a corrective mechanism quickly, allowing operators to restore normal activities within a short time.
Despite the swift resolution, he cautioned against prematurely attributing disruptions to specific platforms without proper technical verification.
“Going forward, I believe we should not rush to release statements, because here we are blaming ICUMS when the problem did not originate from it.” - Dr Riverson Oppong.
Dr Oppong emphasised that the incident highlights the need for stronger digital integration between the platforms that handle import processing and those responsible for depot operations.
He suggested that adopting a more robust Internet of Things (IoT) framework could help link the systems more effectively and improve operational efficiency within the petroleum sector.
“We need a very strong IoT system to manage both platforms so that these problems do not recur.
"Let us avoid individual press releases and instead work toward a collective solution for the industry.” - Dr Riverson Oppong.
Industry dispute over cause of disruption
The debate over the source of the disruption began after some Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs), including GOIL PLC and Star Oil Ghana, attributed temporary fuel shortages at certain depots to technical challenges with the ICUMS platform.
ICUMS is widely used to process tax liabilities and facilitate the clearance and lifting of petroleum products entering the country.
However, Ghana Link Network Services Limited, which operates the system, rejected those claims and maintained that the platform remained fully operational throughout the period.
According to the company, the disruption was linked to the ERDMS platform responsible for managing the offloading of petroleum products at depots.
Industry observers say the episode underscores the growing reliance on digital systems in Ghana’s petroleum supply chain and the importance of seamless coordination between the platforms that manage the sector’s critical operations.
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