GOIL and Star Oil report fuel shortages due to ICUMS technical issues at ports

Some fuel stations across the country are experiencing shortages after operational disruptions at the ports affected the distribution of petroleum products.

GOIL PLC and Star Oil Ghana have both indicated that the shortages are linked to technical problems with the Integrated Customs Management System. The system is responsible for handling tax processing and authorising the release of petroleum products from depots.

In separate announcements, the two companies explained that the system outage has interrupted the national fuel supply chain.

GOIL’s Response

GOIL said the disruption began on Thursday and has prevented the company from lifting petroleum products for distribution to its stations.

As a result, several GOIL service stations across the country may temporarily experience low fuel supplies.

The company’s Group Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, Edward Abambire Bawa, apologised to customers for the inconvenience and assured the public that management is working with relevant authorities to restore normal operations as soon as possible.

Star Oil’s Response

Star Oil Ghana also confirmed that some of its stations are experiencing shortages, emphasising that the situation is not due to fuel hoarding ahead of a possible price increase.

The company explained that the problem was made worse by the public holiday on Friday, which delayed the lifting of petroleum products that had been scheduled for Saturday.

According to the company, the Ghana Revenue Authority ICUMS platform remained offline throughout the day, preventing oil marketing companies from completing the documentation required to load fuel.

Star Oil added that as of Monday, March 9, 2026, the technical issue was still affecting the downstream petroleum sector nationwide. The company noted that because its stations usually record high sales relative to their storage capacity, they tend to feel the impact of supply disruptions more quickly.

Management says it is closely observing developments and will begin restocking its stations once the system is restored.