Alhassan Tampuli
THE NEW Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) promotion policy – Cylinder Recirculation Model (CRM) – will soon be piloted in the Ashanti and Eastern regions to kick start nationwide implementation, the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) has announced.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of NPA, Alhassan Tampuli, said Obuasi and Kwabibirem had been selected for the pilot exercise of the CRM policy, which aims at providing direction for marketing and distribution of LPG in a safe and efficient manner.
Speaking at a stakeholder engagement in Kumasi on Tuesday, the NPA boss stated that the policy was also intended to ensure that 50 per cent of Ghanaians have access to safe, clean and environmentally friendly LPG for domestic, commercial and industrial usage by 2030.
The event formed part of a series of NPA’s stakeholder engagements to interface with the public on the implementation of CRM for the distribution of LPG.
Mr Tampuli said the policy sought to develop a market-driven structure to ensure safety, enhance the capacity of existing regulatory institutions, good environmental practices, sustainability of supply, and local content and participation in the LPG sub-sector.
According to him, direct job creation is estimated to be over 4,500 in relation to new jobs under the actors of the new value-chain and door-to-door delivery services.
“This does not affect current jobs of LPG Bulk Transporters, LPG Bulk Distribution Companies, and LPG Bulk Storage Companies,” he pointed out and reiterated that CRM of LPG distribution would be implemented fully.
As part of the implementation, the NPA CEO said high risk stations would be converted to cylinder distribution/exchange points, while the low risk stations would be considered as auto gas refilling joints.
The Ashanti Regional Minister, Simon Osei-Mensah, commended the NPA for putting together an engagement to dialogue with stakeholders on the new policy. He asserted that it would facilitate an all-inclusive implementation of the CRM.
According to him, Cabinet directed a number of actions, including the immediate commencement of the implementation of the new LPG promotion policy following a series of gas explosions in the country.
The minister revealed that a new price build-up of LPG under the CRM had been developed, noting that the new structure removes the LPG filling plant cost from the price build-up, and introduces a bottler’s margin and primary distribution margin.
He said licence requirements for bottling plants had also been issued to industry and prospective applicants.
From Ernest Kofi Adu, Kumasi