NPA urges Ghanaians to back policy towards making LPG use safe

The National Petroleum Authority (NPA) in the wake of the nationwide strike by operators of the Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), has urged Ghanaians to utilise available sources of LPG, with alternative sources, to back the policy, which seeks to avert LPG-related disasters.

A media statement issued by the Authority, on Monday, said the all Goil LPG stations and all Hills Oil LPG stations were not part of the strike, therefore, consumers could purchase from them.

Additionally, it said, the LPG marketing companies and the LPG Tanker Drivers Union were also not part of the strike.

The Ghana LPG Operators Association (GLiPGOA), on Monday, started a nationwide strike to kick against the implementation of the Cylinder Re-circulation Model (CRM) Policy, complaining that its implementation would render thousands jobless.

But the NPA has criticised the Group, stating that it was prioritising their profit over the safety of consumers.

Following the fatal gas explosion at the Atomic Junction in Accra, last year, the Government initiated the CRP, under which LPG outlets would not be able to fill empty gas cylinders within residential areas and highly populated areas.

Alternatively, LPG bottling plants are to be set up outside of residential and commercial areas for them to fill cylinders for sale at the retail outlets.

The NPA emphasised that the Government would prioritise the health, safety and security of consumers over any other consideration, and accordingly, urged consumers to bear with the situation and look out for the stations that were still in operations.

Consumers, the NPA said, could also use electricity as an interim measure since the Government had recently reduced tariffs.

Meanwhile, Torgbi Adaku, V, the President of GLiPGOA, has said they were also against the policy because it did not favour the operators, while accidents were bound to happen irrespective of the safety measures put in place.

Ghana annually records fatalities and damage to property arising from the inferno caused by gas explosions at filling stations and residencies.