Some fuel stations operated by Star Oil across the country have begun running out of petroleum products due to ongoing technical challenges affecting the customs clearance system used by oil marketing companies.
In a notice to customers, the company explained that the shortages are not the result of hoarding in anticipation of a price increase, but rather due to disruptions in the Integrated Customs Management System (ICUMS) managed by the Ghana Revenue Authority.
According to Star Oil, the situation started after Friday’s public holiday delayed normal petroleum lifting operations. The company said it had planned to lift petroleum products on Saturday to replenish its stations. However, the Integrated Customs Management System (ICUMS) was down throughout the day, preventing oil marketing companies (OMCs) from processing the required documentation needed to load products.
The company noted that the technical difficulties have persisted longer than expected.
“We had hoped the issue would be resolved by Monday, 9 March 2026, but the technical difficulties with ICUMS are still ongoing, and this is affecting the entire industry,” the company said in its statement.
Star Oil further indicated that the impact is being felt more quickly at its outlets because the company records some of the highest fuel sales volumes per station relative to underground tank capacity. As a result, stations run out of stock faster when there are disruptions in supply.
The company assured customers that it is closely monitoring the situation and will move swiftly to restock once the system is restored.
“Once the ICUMS system is restored, we will immediately resume lifting and restocking all affected stations,” the company said.
The disruption highlights the critical role of the ICUMS platform in Ghana’s petroleum supply chain, as oil marketing companies rely on the system to process customs documentation before petroleum products can be loaded from depots.
Customers have been urged to remain patient while authorities work to resolve the technical challenges affecting the system.
