PetroGas Company Limited appraises status

Barely seven months after taking over from Galp, the management and staff of PetroGas Company Limited Saturday converged on Paradise Suites Hotel to assess the current status of the company. PetroGas, the newest dealer in fuel and lubricants in the country, took over from Galp in January 2017. The company has a staff of over 72 and is currently operating 11 filling stations at strategic locations within Greater Banjul Area with intention to go nationwide with additional 6 stations.

The meeting which is the first of its kind reviewed health, security and safety issues, as well as the company’s sales, customer care service, information technology and financial status.

The retreat attended by delegates from all sectors of the company also discussed the achievements and constraints of the company with a view to map the way forward.

The staff of the company lauded the initiative while acknowledging what they called “marked improvement” made by the company from January to date.

Speaking at the forum, the General Manager of the company Lang K Konteh said his administration believes in bottom-up management approach as opposed to top-down management approach, hence the need to bring the entire staff together to plan the way forward.

He said Petrogas is currently ranked third in the country’s fuel retail business and that the company is aspiring to be the best in class in the fuel retail business by delivering the right quality product, at the right time, at right place, at the right price whilst ensuring the highest safety standards throughout the entire distribution chain.

Mr Konteh urged the company staff to strive hard to ensure that both customers and company shareholders get value for their money. “We want our staff to be proud of working for Petrogas but we also expect them to be good brand ambassadors for the company”, he added. Mr Konteh spoke of plans to expand their product line by selling LPG and cooking stoves as part of the UNIDO-GEF6 pilot project. 

Mr Konteh thanked government for creating the enabling environment for businesses to thrive in the country. He said the company has made significant progress during the period under review and commended both the shareholders and staff for their support and dedication to the advancement of the firm. The Health, Safety, Environment and Procurement Manager Burama Jaiteh said the company places high premium on safety.

He warned against smoking, the use of mobile phones and sparks in filling stations. “People should be extremely careful at petrol stations. The environment is easily flammable because there is always fuel vapour in the environment”, Jaiteh cautioned.

The Sales manager Micheal Sock, the Financial controller Ebrima Manneh and the Human Resource Assistant Esie Riley all stated that the company is doing better than its predecessor in terms of income generation and staff motivation.

They said the company offers best price for fuel and lubricants in the country. At the end of the conclave participants stressed the need to address stock loss at their filling stations and recommended for the provision of health and safety gears.