Hassan Tampuli (inset) addressing journalists in Accra
Government’s Cylinder Re-circulation Model policy is taking shape.
The National Petroleum Authority (NPA), the agency supervising the implementation of the policy held a news conference on Tuesday in Accra to brief the citizens on the progress made so far.
The policy is expected to come into force by early next year.
Under the Cylinder Re-circulation Model, consumers would have to exchange their old empty gas cylinders for new ones.
LPG bottling plants would be sited far away from congested or commercial areas and their main business would be to brand, maintain and fill empty cylinders for distribution through retail outlets.
Low risk stations would be designated to supply gas to vehicles.
Giving an overview of the project, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of NPA Alhassan Tampuli, cited non adherence to standards and laid-down procedures, resulting in some accidents and explosions and inadequate knowledge and skills of operators and consumers as some challenges.
“We cannot leave the safety and security issues in the industry in the hands of those who have inadequate knowledge and skills. We have to put in proper structures and respect those structures,” he said
He said the government, through the authority, was determined to implement the policy to meet the peculiar needs of Ghanaians.”
“We want to ensure that what we come out with will be able to stand the test of time.”
The CEO said that the government was determined to ensure that by 2030 at least 50% of Ghanaians would have access to safe, clean and environmentally friendly LPG for increased domestic, commercial and industrial usage.
He said there is no way the new policy will put people out of their jobs and promised that the new model would rather create more employment opportunities than the current system, saying “about 100,00 jobs are guaranteed throughout the country in the value chain.”
In an elaborate presentation, Esther Anku, Chief Inspector of the NPA, said the new model is expected to ensure better coordination among agencies mandated to ensure health and safety standards in the industry and proactive supervision.
She said they are putting in place a market-driven structure to ensure safety, increased access and adoption of LPG in order to meet the regulatory requirements of the new market structure.
She said there is huge local content and participation in the LPG sub-sector in accordance with the downstream local content policy.
Currently, NPA expects a minimum of eight bottling plants but participation of companies is a bit behind schedule because they need to put things right to ensure smooth take-off.
By William Yaw Owusu