The Chief Executive of the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), Mr. Godwin Kudzo Tameklo Esq., has commended Sentuo Oil Refinery for its contributions to the country’s downstream petroleum sector.
He made the remarks when he led a team from the NPA to pay a working visit to the refinery on Monday, January 5, 2026.
The visit forms part of a familiarization tour to petroleum installations across the country, aimed at strengthening regulatory engagement and supporting sector growth.
At a meeting with Group Chairman of Sentuo Oil Refinery, Ninqguan Xu and his team, Mr. Tameklo urged the management of Sentuo to keep up the excellent work and assured them of the Authority’s continuous support.
“The decision by Sentuo to put up a refinery for me is a game changer, for a long time, for over 60 years, we have always relied on one major refinery. The work Sentuo has been doing over the last 6 months, the evidence is out there for all of us to see. What it means is that, for us from the NPA, what do we do to support your activities, at the same time ensuring that our regulatory oversights in the work we do is never comprised. As a regulator, we need to first ensure that we help you protect your investments. Your decision to invest in Ghana, requires that we protect that investment and that is important to us.”
Mr. Tameklo further emphasized the importance of regulatory compliance, particularly in areas relating to health, safety, and environmental protection.
“Protecting that investment also means that we do not compromise on issues of regulatory oversight. The things that are important to us is to ensure that your factory meets international standards, the issues about health, the issues about the environment, issues about safety are given top priority. You have put your money into this, we will ensure that the investment is made worthwhile, but in so doing, you must also help us the regulators to ensure that the things that we need to do in terms of compliance, will be done because we do not want to compromise on these matters.
On his part, the Group Chairman of Sentuo Oil Refinery, Mr. Ninqguan Xu, expressed appreciation to the NPA for the visit and reaffirmed the company’s commitment to operating within Ghana’s regulatory framework.
“Sentuo Oil Refinery remains fully committed to complying with all labour laws in Ghana and adhering strictly to international health, safety, and environmental standards. We will continue to provide proper working conditions for our staff to enhance efficiency and productivity,”
Mr. Xu further highlighted the organisations focus on local content and capacity building, stating that Sentuo has successfully integrated local staff into its steel operations and will replicate the same approach at the refinery.
“We are deliberately integrating and training local staff, including positioning them as intermediaries to address language barriers and ensure that all documentation and processes meet regulatory requirements,” he explained.
Mr. Xu also disclosed plans to partner with relevant institutions to establish a scholarship scheme aimed at training university students to acquire skills in the petroleum sector, as part of Sentuo’s long-term commitment to human capital development.
The working visit underlines the National Petroleum Authority’s commitment to overseeing a well-regulated, competitive, and sustainable downstream petroleum sector in Ghana, by engagingindustry players, providing regulatory support, and enforcing compliance to ensure safe operations, investment protection, and long-term growth of Ghana’s downstream petroleum industry.