Ghana: We’re Determined To Ensure LPG Becomes More Affordable–NPA

Ghana’s petroleum downstream regulator, National Petroleum Authority (NPA), is taking steps to ensure that the cost of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) becomes more affordable and accessible.

The regulator said it will be engaging the Ministry of Finance to consider removing some taxes on Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG).

The high cost of Liquefied Petroleum Gas which is mostly used by women for cooking has become a major concern to consumers and marketers.

Early this year, the regulator introduced a tender process for the importation of LPG, leading to a reduction of premium on LPG importation.

Speaking at a regional town hall durbar on cylinder recirculation model (CRM) in Tamale, last Friday, Mrs Linda Asante, who is the Deputy Chief Executive Officer of NPA, said the Authority is determined to ensure that LPG becomes more affordable to encourage more women to use LPG for cooking to protect their health and save the environment.

Mrs Asante said smoke from charcoal and firewood exposed mostly women and children to lung diseases such as hypertension and also affected their eyes.

She said LPG, on the other hand, does not emit smoke, which makes it the most safe and convenient means of cooking.

Mrs Asante said the government had introduced the CRM policy to make LPG more affordable, accessible and available.

Mrs Asante, therefore, urged the people in the north to switch from the use of charcoal and firewood to LPG to protect their health and preserve the environment.

“No huge jump in prices because of CRM. The tender process has brought down the price of LPG.

 “And we have various sizes of the LPG. We have 3kg, we have 6kg and we have 12.5 and it goes up there. So, you can buy any size you want. I’m sure 3kg will be the same as wanting to buy a tot. If you want to buy a tot, that avenue is also available.

She said in a few weeks, consumers would begin to access filled cylinders at the exchange in their communities.

For his part, the Head of Gas, Commercial Regulation of NPA, Mr Obed Kraine Boachie, said four LPG cylinder bottling plants–three in Tema and one in Kumasi– had been set up to fill cylinders for distribution to LPG marketers for onward distribution to cylinder exchange points.

He said the Authority had received applications for the setting up of bottling plants in Tamale and other areas.

Mr Boachie said the CRM value chain would create more jobs and stressed that the existing LPG marketing companies would be the key drivers of the policy.

In her welcome address, the Director of Gas at NPA, Mrs Akua Ntiwaa Kwakye, said the CRM was a new way of distributing LPG safely and conveniently.

Zagu Lana, the Chief Yakubu Nantogmah, who chaired the occasion, bemoaned the continuous felling of trees for charcoal and firewood for cooking.

He said the present generation has a bounding duty to protect the environment for future generations, hence, the need for people to stop felling trees and switch to the use of LPG.

Officers from the Ghana National Fire and Rescue Service staged demonstrations on how to put out fire on cylinders using wet towels and fire extinguishers.

The Director of Corporate Affairs of NPA, Mrs. Maria Oquaye, the Director of Research, Monitoring and Evaluation of NPA, Dr Joseph Wilson, the NPA Northern Regional Manager, Mr Theophilus Manu, the Head of Quality Control, Mr Saeed Ubeidallah Kutia, the Head of Consumer Services, Mrs. Eunice Budu Nyarko, and the Head of Regional Coordination, Mrs Aku Yuiah, all of NPA, were present at the durbar.

The durbar was attended by chiefs, security officers, public servants, LPG dealers, students and traders.

Source: https://energynewsafrica.com