Linda Boamah Asante (6th R) with stakeholders in Tamale
The National Petroleum Authority (NPA), has organized a sensitization durbar on the Cylinder Recirculation Model (CRM) in Tamale in the Northern region.
The durbar was to educate the public on the need to switch from firewood and charcoal to Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG).
The CRM is a mode of distribution of LPG particularly for household use where Bottling Plants own cylinders, refill these cylinders, and distribute them through LPG marketing companies who operate Cylinder Exchange Points.
Under the model, consumers do not own cylinders but rather anybody who wishes to use LPG can just walk to a Cylinder Exchange Point, register, and gain access to cylinder to use, customers only pay for the LPG.
The purpose of the cylinder recirculation by government is to promote LPG as a cleaner, safer and healthier alternative fuel for cooking.
Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), Linda Boamah Asante, noted that cooking should not endanger the lives of women, and children.
“In Ghana and most parts of Africa, cooking has placed the lives of our mothers and sisters in danger, because of the smoke they inhale whiles cooking. This is because we cook with firewood and charcoal in most of our communities.
The smoke from cooking with firewood and charcoal causes heart diseases and lung cancer mostly in women because they are the ones who do the cooking in our home. The smoke also makes us weak and when used over a long period affects our eyes,”she said.
She revealed that a study shows that about 18,000 people in Ghana die yearly from the use of unclean fuels and that it also impacts the world because it destroys the air and causes global warming especially as we cut down trees.
“It is for this reason that the government has always promoted LPG as a cleaner, safer and healthier alternative fuel for cooking. LPG does not produce any smoke when used for cooking, it keeps our kitchen and utensils clean, it cooks faster and better and it saves time. Most of us think LPG is expensive especially when we compare it to charcoal but research has shown that LPG is ultimately cheaper. Even with firewood which we may get for free, we must be mindful that the illment the smoke will bring to us can cost us our very lives which makes it more expensive than LPG or any other fuel,” she added.
Madam Asante hinted that the government wants Ghanaians to have access to LPG for cooking and targets to achieve 50% access by the year 2030.
The Deputy CEO of NPA said the CRM is an efficient mode of distribution of LPG as it brings LPG closer to consumers, addresses safety issues and creates more jobs for people as the value chain expands.
“In September last year, the NPA announced the full roll out of CRM throughout the country. Various service providers were issued licenses to begin the installation of Cylinder Exchange Points and infrastructure for the distribution of LPG. We are happy to inform you that Ghanaians will begin to exchange their old cylinders for new cylinders under the CRM in the coming weeks. Consequently, you will begin to see places in your communities where you can access LPG without having to travel long distances.”
She, however, assured that NPA has implemented some strategies to ensure that there is no huge jump in the price of LPG due to the implementation of the CRM.
“A Tender Programme has been implemented to reduce the premium on our purchase of LPG and the savings made (over $70/mt) has absorbed the cost that CRM brings ($80/mt for investment in cylinders and bottling plants). We are not stopping there, we are still engaging the Ministry of Finance to consider the removal of certain taxes to reduce the price of LPG to make it affordable to all,” she added.
BY Eric Kombat, Tamale