Fuel supply disrupted nationwide as ICUMS glitch halts port operations

A technical failure in the country’s customs processing system has triggered fuel shortages at filling stations across the nation, according to announcements from major oil marketing companies (OMCs) including GOIL PLC and Star Oil Ghana.

The disruption is linked to an ongoing outage of the Integrated Customs Management System (ICUMS), a digital platform managed by the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) that is essential for processing taxes and authorizing the release of petroleum products from depots.

In separate statements, the companies confirmed that the system failure has effectively paralyzed the downstream petroleum supply chain, preventing them from lifting fuel for distribution.

GOIL: Disruption Began Thursday

GOIL PLC reported that the technical difficulties began on Thursday, March 5, halting its ability to transport petroleum products from depots to its service stations.

“As a result, several GOIL service stations across the country may temporarily experience low or no fuel supplies,” the company stated.

Edward Abambire Bawa, the Group Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of GOIL, apologized to customers for the inconvenience caused. He assured the public that management is actively engaging with the relevant state authorities to resolve the issue and restore normal operations as quickly as possible.

Star Oil: Outage Worsened by Public Holiday

Star Oil Ghana also confirmed shortages at its outlets, but sought to reassure the public that the situation is strictly logistical and not related to hoarding in anticipation of price adjustments.

The company explained that the disruption was compounded by the public holiday on Friday, March 6. While the company had scheduled fuel lifting for Saturday, March 7, the ICUMS platform remained offline throughout the weekend, preventing the completion of mandatory documentation for fuel loading.

According to Star Oil, the ICUMS platform was still non-operational as of Monday, March 9, creating a nationwide bottleneck in the downstream petroleum sector. The company noted that due to its high sales volume relative to storage capacity, its stations are particularly susceptible to immediate disruptions in the supply chain.

Management stated it is closely monitoring the situation and will begin restocking its stations immediately once the customs system is restored.

Nationwide Impact

The outages highlight a critical vulnerability in the nation’s fuel supply chain, which relies heavily on the digital customs platform for clearance. As of Monday afternoon, motorists in various parts of the country have reported finding some GOIL and Star Oil stations closed or running on low fuel.

The GRA and the Ministry of Energy are yet to issue an official statement regarding the timeline for a fix.