Goil, Star Oil announce fuel shortages over ICUMS port challenges

Some Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) have reported fuel shortages at a number of their service stations due to operational challenges at the ports.

State-owned GOIL PLC and private operator Star Oil Ghana attributed the situation to technical difficulties with the Integrated Customs Management System (ICUMS), which is used to process tax liabilities and facilitate the lifting of petroleum products from depots.

In separate statements, the companies explained that the system has experienced an outage, disrupting the petroleum supply chain nationwide.

GOIL Statement

GOIL PLC said the outage, which began on Thursday, has prevented the company from lifting products for distribution.

“Consequently, some GOIL stations across the country may temporarily run low on products,” the company said.

The company’s Group Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, Edward Abambire Bawa, expressed regret over the inconvenience and assured customers that management is engaging relevant authorities to restore normal supply as soon as possible.

Star Oil Statement

Star Oil Ghana also confirmed the shortages, stressing that the situation is not the result of hoarding in anticipation of a fuel price increase.

According to the company, the problem was worsened by the public holiday on Friday, which delayed planned petroleum lifting operations scheduled for Saturday.

“Unfortunately, the GRA ICUMS system was down throughout the day, preventing all OMCs from processing the necessary documentation to load products,” Star Oil said.

The company noted that the technical challenges were still ongoing as of Monday, March 9, 2026, affecting the entire downstream petroleum industry.

It added that its service stations, which typically record high sales relative to tank capacity, are more quickly affected by such disruptions.

Star Oil said it is closely monitoring the situation and will resume restocking immediately once the system is restored.

CitiNewsRoom