No gas refill at LPG outlets

The National Petroleum Authority (NPA) says it’s putting certain measures in place to help minimize gas explosions at the various gas filling stations in the country.

To this end, Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) outlets nationwide will no longer be allowed to refill cylinders at their plants.

Instead, all gas cylinders will be filled by cylinder bottling plants for onward delivery to retail outlets.

Individuals and organisations that use LPG cylinders will now go to LPG retail outlets with their empty cylinders to exchange them for filled ones and pay for them.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of NPA, Hassan Tampuli, who disclosed this, noted that the initiative was under a comprehensive national policy aimed at halting gas explosions at gas filling outlets.

He was interacting with journalists in the Western Region on the role of the media in ensuring public safety as far as the usage of gas is concerned.

He pointed out that the cylinder bottling companies would be solely responsible for the cylinders that would be handed over to the public.

“They will be in charge of safety and quality checks. This will go a long way to save the lives of innocent Ghanaians,” he indicated.

He also said that a pipeline would be laid from the source of supply of the product to supply gas to inhabitants of residential areas in the country.

Mr Tampuli stressed that the ultimate aim of the NPA is to prevent gas explosions which have so far claimed many innocent lives and injured others in the country.

He pointed out that the modalities and timelines for the policy would soon be made known.

He indicated that currently, some African countries, including Benin, Tanzania, Kenya and some East African countries, are implementing a similar LPG programme.

He said the NPA was on course to ensuring that all gas filling plants and fuel filling stations adhere to safety standards, while new policies would soon be rolled out to avoid needless explosions.

He appealed to the media to use their outlets to educate individuals who use gas for domestic purposes on some safety measures.