By Charles Ebi

Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority has threatened to sanction Filling Station Operators that fail to accept payment through Point of Sale and Bank Transfers for the purchase of the product.

The NMDPRA said this in a statement issued and Signed by Kimchi Apollo General Manager, Corporate Communications & Stakeholders Management made available to AljazirahNigeria in Abuja yesterday.

The Authority frowned at the practice of rejecting POS channels and bank transfers for payment of petroleum products, noting that this behaviour is causing untold hardship for Nigerians at a time when all hands should be on deck to assist the Government in the transition to the new Naira.

In view of this development, the Authority directed all retail outlets to ensure the free use of
POS and bank transfer for the sale of petroleum products to alleviate the suffering of customers at this critical time.

The statement added that the Authority and security agencies will be at retail outlets to ensure compliance with this directive, noting that any filling station found violating this directive will be duly sanctioned.

The statement reads, “It has come to the attention of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, NMDPRA, that some retail outlets are not accepting the use of Point of Sale, POS, machines at their filling stations due to the recent cash crunch brought about by the new Naira design.

 “The Authority frowns at this recent behaviour which is causing untold hardship for Nigerians at a time when all hands should be on deck to assist the Government in the transition to the new Naira.

“All retail outlets are directed to ensure the free use of POS and bank transfer for the sale of petroleum products to alleviate the suffering of customers at this critical time.

“The Authority and security agencies will be at retail outlets to ensure compliance with this directive and any filling station found violating this directive will be duly sanctioned.

“We reassure the general public of our commitment to ensuring good quality service in the sale and distribution of petroleum products nationwide.”