The government must support companies in the country to produce degreasing materials for oil cleaning services for the downstream petroleum sector locally, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Bidi Group of Companies, Mr Benjamin Armstrong has said.

That, he said, would help reduce the importation of such products into the country and help create jobs for the youth

Mr Armstrong made the call in Accra on Friday during the launch of Bioblast disinfectant and heavy duty cleaner for the health, food and transport sector.

The two cleaning products which are produced from natural and biodegradable products such as sea water are meant to reduce the importation of cleaning products particularly for the oil and gas sector, into the country.

Mr Armstrong explained that most of the cleaning materials which were used to clean the slurdge in the bulk storage tanks of oil marketing companies were imported into the country, putting pressure on the local currency.

He said the demand for degreasing materials for cleaning in the downstream petroleum sector was huge but there were no local companies producing such products in the country.

Mr Armstrong said Bidi Group, oil cleaning company, had been licensed by the National Petroleum Authority to provide bulk storage tank cleaning services for oil marketing companies in Ghana and served companies such as Puma and Blue Ocean.

Mr Armstrong said chemical-based cleaning materials were not allowed to be used in the cleaning of bulk storage fuel tanks.

"In cleaning the bulk storage tanks of Puma and Blue Ocean we had a lot of experience and this lead us to search for the Bioplast environmental friendly degreaser for oil and marketing companies," he stated.

A Bioplast Consultant from the U.S.A, Mr Clark Experance, who was the guest of honour, said the products had come an opportune time when the country was producing oil locally.