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Tag: mrs oil

  • Importers of fake PMS won’t go unpunished- NNPC

    Importers of fake PMS won’t go unpunished- NNPC

    The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited has said firms that imported the recent adulterated Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), popularly called petrol, into the country would not go unpunished.

    In a statement signed by its Group General Manager- public affairs, Garba Deen Muhammad, pointed out that NNPC is working with the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Regulatory Authority (NMDRA) to take necessary actions in line with subsisting regulations.

    Reassuring Nigerians of its capacity to restore sanity in the supply and distribution of quality PMS across the country within a short period, the Chief Executive Officer/ Group Managing Director of NNPC, Mallam Mele Kyari, pointed out that defaulting suppliers have been put on notice for remedial actions.

    The statement, in parts, read: “Providing a graphic chronicle of the unfortunate incident, the NNPC CEO said that on 20th January 2022, the company received a report from its quality inspector on the presence of emulsion particles in PMS cargoes shipped to Nigeria from Antwerp-Belgium.

    “He explained that NNPC investigation revealed the presence of Methanol in four PMS cargoes imported by the following Direct-Sale-Direct-Purchase (DSDP) suppliers as listed in the table below.

    Importer Vessel Name Load Port

    1 MRS — MT Bow Pioneer — LITASCO Terminal, Antwerp-Belgium

    2 Emadeb/Hyde/AY Maikifi/Brittania-U Consortium —- MT Tom Hilde —- LITASCO Terminal, Antwerp-Belgium

    3 Oando — MT Elka Apollon — LITASCO Terminal, Antwerp-Belgium

    4 Duke Oil —– MT Nord Gainer —-LITASCO Terminal, Antwerp-Belgium

    “He noted that cargoes quality certificates issued at loadport (Antwerp-Belgium) by AmSpec Belgium indicated that the gasoline complied with Nigerian Specification.

    It is important to note that the usual quality inspection protocol employed in both the load port in Belgium and our discharge ports in Nigeria do not include the test for Percent methanol content and therefore the additive was not detected by our quality inspectors

     

    “The NNPC quality inspectors including GMO, SGS, GeoChem, and G&G conducted tests before discharge also showed that the gasoline met Nigerian specification,” he said.

    According to the statement, Kyari noted that as a standard practice for all PMS imports to Nigeria, the said cargoes were equally certified by an inspection agent appointed by the NMDRA.

    “It is important to note that the usual quality inspection protocol employed in both the load port in Belgium and our discharge ports in Nigeria do not include the test for Percent methanol content and therefore the additive was not detected by our quality inspectors” Kyari stated.

    Adding: “However, in order to prevent the distribution of the petrol, the NNPC CEO said the company promptly ordered the quarantine of all un-evacuated volumes and the holding back of all the affected products in transit (both truck & marine).

  • FIRS shuts MRS Oil over N497m tax debt

    The Federal Inland Revenue Service on Wednesday closed down an MRS Oil’s facility in Lagos over a tax debt amounting to N497.1m, an action the agency described as part of measures being taken against tax-defaulting companies in the country.

    An enforcement team, led by Mrs. Anita Erinne, reportedly sealed off the premises of the MRS Oil and Gas Company Limited at 2,Tin Can Island Road, Apapa, Lagos.

    But the company said through its accountant, who identified himself simply as Samson, that it had cleared the debt.

    A statement by the FIRS said the chief security officer of the oil company ordered security guards to prevent the FIRS team from going beyond the reception area, leading to a two-hour argument during which the MRS Oil’s workers refused to vacate their offices as directed by the FIRS officials.

    When the argument ended, Erinne ordered the main gates to the company to be sealed off.

    “The team also visited Kaplan International College Limited situated at 1, Adeola Odeku Street, Victoria Island, which was also sealed over a N50.5m tax debt,” the statement added.

    The enforcement team had, on Tuesday, shut the premises of Amyn Investment Limited, situated at 21/25 Broad Street, Lagos. The company is said to be indebted to the tune of N12.5m.

    A similar fate befell Floorenzo West Africa Limited, situated at 6, Boyle Street, Lagos, which owes N310m, it stated.

    The FIRS gave the names of others affected by the closure as the FDHL, situated at 9/11, Osborne Terrace House, Udi Street, Osborne Ikoyi, said to own N22.3m; and Nadabo Energy Limited, whose debt was given as N24.9m.

    The enforcement team of the FIRS had last month sealed off four companies in Lagos and Port Harcourt for reportedly failing to meet their tax obligations totalling N630m.

    Erinne had told the defaulting firms that the companies’ premises would be unsealed when they cleared their outstanding tax bills.

    She warned the workers not to unseal or tamper with the FIRS seal until the debts were cleared and warned that any attempt to remove the seal would be a contravention of the law.