By Amin Kef (Ranger)

The most trusted, reliable and result oriented petroleum marketing entity in Sierra Leone, the National Petroleum-Sierra Leone (NP-SL) is all set to continue optimizing opportunities to ensure that there is availability of various petroleum products, year round, that could be procured at various NP Filling Stations across the country.

Management of the company is with renewed vigour determined, as always, to create the leeway for Customer Care to be taken on a high pedestal everywhere the company is operating.

It was reliably learnt that the Shareholders and Management of the company are very much interested in how customers are treated and are doing everything within their ambit to optimize it with a view that if such is done impressively and respectfully such will retain its customers and as well woo others to do business with the entity.

In 2022 the company conducted nationwide trainings of Station Managers and Pump Attendants on how to professionally treat customers and such a positive move has been yielding fruitful dividends.

Established by thirty five Sierra Leoneans , who were former employees of the British Petroleum company out of shares they bought, NP-SL Ltd over the years, has placed high premium on customer care and therefore thought it entrepreneurially prudent to import and install modern calibrated pumping machines in all its Filling Stations.

These are automated and high precision machines which have the capability of pumping the exact quantity of fuel that a particular buyer or customer requests for, displaying quantity (in litres) as well as the price(s). With these machines, contrary to what used to obtain in the past when less sophisticated pumping machines were used, customers have sincerely attested that they do derive utmost satisfaction whenever they do transactions expressing the belief that the process is really transparent.

Within that same domain of satisfying and providing care for its customers, the company made it a must that all its Filling Stations should have safety regulations. Such is done to serve as a caution for customers and others not to use naked flame, to switch mobile phones and engines switched off at Filling Stations when fuel is pumped among others.

With the avowed objective of making fuel transactions easier and very convenient for its esteemed and numerous customers, the company again introduced the brilliant idea of putting into vogue the use of NP Smart Card. This is a cashless way of transacting business or in other words purchasing fuel without using physical cash. The holder of an NP Smart Card could present the card at any Filling Station, as long as it contains money, and request for the quantity of fuel he or she requires.

The card is then slotted into the pumping machine with the subsequent discharge of the amount of fuel into a car or jerry can. This method of conducting cashless transaction is very advantageous in the sense that a customer is saved the hassle of intermittently rushing to the bank to withdraw cash for the sole purpose of purchasing fuel. This is so because already his or her NP Smart Card is loaded with money for that purpose. Indeed, it also provides security as the card is securitized only having the particulars of the holder which cannot be used by another person.

The Shareholders and Management of the company thought it fit that to make cooking safer and less health hazardous to introduce an environmentally cooking device known as NP Gas.

Manufactured in different cylinder sizes, NP Gas has a high precision performance and for it to be refilled it is simple as the gas could be accessed at all the company’s Filling Stations in the country.

Many whom have tried them intimated this medium that it is worth having at home and one could never regret having it but would rather recommend it to others.

NP-SL Ltd has etched its name in the sands of time for embracing and effectively rolling out the country’s Local Content Policy. As one of its major priorities, the company has placed high premium on giving employment preference to Sierra Leoneans. It is only on rare circumstances that the company makes use of expatriates and in most cases it is when local personnel cannot be sourced.

In a country where accessing a secured and suitable job is like finding a needle on the beach for a company like NP-SL Ltd to avail Sierra Leoneans the opportunity to access job is indeed commendable. This posture, on the part of the company, has given the beneficiaries the opportunity to live improved lifestyles and have a sense of believing that they are contributing to national development.

A company that has vibrant branches in neighbouring Guinea, Liberia, Ivory Coast and The Gambia speaks volumes of a serious business entity that is determined to grow. In all those countries, the company employs indigenes and is paying taxes to the Governments which in turn are used to fund various development programmes.

It must be concluded that though the company is going through various challenges, one of which is to gain easy access to foreign exchange, the Board of Directors, Shareholders and Management are more determined to prevent energy poverty or shortage of petroleum products that could have far reaching socio-economic and political implications.