The Department for Petroleum Resources (DPR) says it will commence online registration for petroleum marketers from October.
Alhaji Abdullahi Abawa, the Operations Controller, DPR Gombe field office, made this known on Thursday in Gombe during a sensitisation and interactive session with petroleum marketers in the state.
“We are going to upgrade our operations from manual to online registration beginning from October,’’ he said.
According to him, online registration has tremendous advantages because a marketer can register from anywhere.
He said that by going online, DPR intended to hasten the process of obtaining approvals, registration, renewal of licenses and site assessment.
“With the current development, you do not have to come to our office to register, you can do it anywhere provided there is network and you will receive confirmation from us immediately,’’ he said.
The DPR official said that marketers were free to approach DPR with their complaint at anytime; to make enquiries of the things they were not clear about.
“DPR is a friendly policeman, come over with your request, we are ready to assist you and find solutions to your problems,” Abawa said.
He advised the marketers and would-be marketers to desist from patronising touts and middlemen.
According to him, marketers are often intimidated by third parties while processing manifest at the depots.
Mr Amos Bernard, DPR Head of Operations, identified some of the lapses observed in most filling stations in the zone.
Bernard advised owners of filling stations to endeavour to obey basic rules guiding the setting up of such facilities to prevent fire outbreaks.
He said that most filling stations lack earthen cable, which was necessary for discharging petroleum products from trucks into underground storage tanks, describing this as dangerous.
The official warned the marketers against diversion of petroleum products, particularly PMS from consigned destinations without approval, stressing that defaulters would be sanctioned.