By Oscarline Onwuemenyi

ABUJA -The management of the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency, PPPRA, yesterday, met with marketers of petroleum products to discuss operational guidelines for the fourth quarter (Q4), 2011 allocation, towards ensuring seamless and robust supply of petroleum products over the yuletide season.

Executive Secretary of the PPPRA, Mr. Reginald Stanley, who spoke to journalists at the end of the meeting in Abuja, noted that the delay in the allocation of Q4 licences by the agency was due to the transition which came about with the appointment of a new management for the agency.

He added, however, that the delay had not caused any infraction in the supply of products, insisting that the country had enough products from the third quarter (Q3) to last the festive season.

He said: “As a major stakeholder at the forefront of ensuring uninterrupted supply and distribution, government and the general public shall be expecting from us pragmatic solutions to the perennial scarcity, especially during this festive period when consumption of petroleum products is expected to increase astronomically.”

Stanley noted that reported cases of queues and sharp practices at some filling stations across the country, was largely because of anticipated government pronouncement of the commencement of the deregulation policy by the new year.