He asserted that certain cartels and individuals close to power within the marine value chain tend to benefit more than local fish farmers.
In an exclusive interview with GhanaWeb Business, the energy expert said; “With respect to subsidies, I think that the only product subsidized for us locally has been the premix, which is used to support fishermen or people who engage in certain domestic marine activities.”
“I think that these premix subsidies that we give to some of these fisherfolk or fish farmers do not benefit them but rather benefit certain cartels or perhaps some political cronies within the value chain, because there’s a lot of leakage when it comes to premix subsidies in Ghana. Some corrupt politicians are benefiting, while these fishermen are not,” Ben Nsiah added.
The National Premix Fuel Committee (NPFC) Regulations, 2016 (L.I. 2233), instruct the Landing Beach Committee (LBC) to undertake developmental projects within the community using profits from the sale of premix fuel, of which 53 percent is allocated for community development.
The prices of fish mostly increase due to the shortage of premix fuel.
It is worth recalling that the previous government introduced digital canoe identification cards to streamline the process of purchasing premix fuel, thereby addressing the stress, hoarding, and challenges in fuel acquisition.
The new digital system aims to enable fisherfolk to directly access the quantity of premix fuel they require at the pumps using their digital canoe identification cards, which are linked to their vessels.
The data generated will be essential for re-ordering, while each order is monitored and measured against timelines to enhance delivery efficiency.
