By Amin Kef (Ranger)
It is strongly incontestable that the leading petroleum marketing company in the country, NP-Sierra Leone Limited, is highly recognized and respected for its efforts in enhancing and optimizing customer satisfaction in its service delivery on different fronts.
Members of staff of the company are very mindful of the fact that it is the customer that comes first and therefore needs the utmost attention always ensuring that transactions are conducted under a congenial atmosphere that results into a win-win situation.
For this brilliant and managerial initiative, the company has been making positive headways in positioning to stand tall among other business entities in this part of the world.
With a capable and result-oriented Staff, working collaboratively and assiduously, where even the cleaner is regarded as highly relevant there is bound to be positive outcomes and the company has mastered this by ensuring that synergy is enhanced.
One admirable quality that NP-SL Ltd possesses is working tirelessly and effectively using its contacts with oil-producing countries in order to ensure that there is timely purchase and delivery of petroleum products to avoid shortages. It goes without saying that fuel, for example, could be a political commodity in the sense that fluctuation in its price would make a Government likeable or unpopular. When the price goes up then people blame the Government for that but if it goes down it is kudos for the political administration.
Its timely importation of petroleum products has earned the company high commendations from various quarters simply because such helps in cushioning unrest and ensures that sanity prevails within the petroleum marketing landscape. This pro-activeness, on the part of the company invariably has a direct impact on poverty reduction in variable means.
Some, who were not aware of the fact that NP-SL Ltd is wholly owned by Sierra Leoneans vis-à-vis the continuous enhancement of its visibility becomes really surprised to see the development and transformative changes taking place that are meaningfully impacting lives and communities.
Indeed, it was 35 former employees of British Petroleum (BP) who decided to use their end of service benefits to purchase shares from which the humble beginning of NP-SL Ltd could be traced.
Today, NP-SL is a success story of an indigenous company, with its presence in various locations of the country where there are Filling Stations and having branches in Liberia, Guinea, Ivory Coast and The Gambia.
What should be noted is that the serious operations of the company right across the spectrum are contributing towards revenue generation and job creation for many.
With gas as one its marketable products it was thought wise to be producing gas cookers, popularly known as NP Gas, which could be accessed at different Filling Stations. Based on investigation conducted, NP Gas, is rated high in terms of performance and can be refilled by accessing gas from NP Filling Stations.
In terms of matching with contemporary developments, the company introduced the use of a Smart Card widely known as NP Smart Card which is a Card with memory chip embedded that can be credited with money and debited when it is used during the purchase of fuel.
The holder only slots the loaded card into the space on the pumping machine after commanding the amount of fuel to be pumped and the exact amount is discharged with the card ready for another recharge to be used for the next purchase. It has been acknowledged that it is a safe, cashless way of conducting transactions assuring greater security and budgetary adjustments.
When reference is made to the effective implementation of the Local Content Policy, then NP-SL Ltd stands tall within that realm as nearly all its members of staff are Sierra Leoneans thereby making use of local talents everywhere they are operating. The Local Content Policy is indeed an engine of growth and NP is making full use of it.
It must be noted in these trying times, when the Russian War continues to intensify in Ukraine for a company like NP (SL) Ltd to be successfully making concrete arrangements in terms of easily accessing petroleum products has indeed been awesome as Management of the petroleum marketing company is doing everything humanely possible within its reach to ensure that such petroleum products are easily available and accessible.
