Chamber of Petroleum Consumers (COPEC) has raised concerns about the strain the Cylinder Re-circulation Model of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) distribution may put on poor Ghanaians.
The Chamber’s Executive Director, Duncan Amoah, noted that the inflexibility of the programme on Citi FM in Accra at the weekend, and suggested that the old system of distribution be employed alongside the new module ordered by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
The new module, proposed by the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), means that LPG Bottling Plants will be sited away from highly populated areas and commercial centres.
These plants will procure, brand, maintain and fill empty cylinders to be distributed to consumers and households through retail outlets and stations, deemed to be low risk, after a government assessment.
The directive followed the public outcry over the siting of LPG stations in the wake of the explosion at a gas station at Atomic Junction, Madina, Accra, which incident claimed 7 lives and injured 132.
Following analysis of the module by COPEC, Mr. Amoah noted a number of challenges that could emerge with the programme, including possible arguments over cylinder aesthetics, and the need for about 150 percent more cylinders to be manufactured.
“The plants would have to have their own cylinders that they will refill and send to their outlets so that when I come with my bottle, I quickly pick one,” he noted.
But a key challenge will be the reduction in flexibility for consumers because of the fixed measurement expected to be sold.
“…Now when we move to the re-circulation point, what it would then mean is, if it’s the 14 kg bottle you have, you must necessarily buy 14 kg whether your money is up to or it is not.”
Thus, he said, this challenge will be critical to the extent that, “effectively, people will now have to pay for the cylinders they carry. People will now have to either have to own all the sizes [of gas cylinders] so that whatever your money is able to pay for, you go and pick it up.”
“But those who cannot afford, those are the other segment of the population we should think about carefully, and so we have suggested that it should co-exist,” Mr. Amoah said.
Source: Today
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This is the suggestions I was expecting because in Malaysia you cannot see any Gas filling station in town and the only place for someone to buy is gas cylinder out let so am happy for that news .
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if i'm getting this policy right, then it must be one bbogus policy ever to be introduced by NPP. not everyone buys full gas into their cylinders besides what measures will be put in place to show that these gas station owners are not duping us? this policy will bring chaos and cause more destruction because majority of people will not take good care of their cylinders since its not for them and will go in circulation. so am i to blame for the ***barred word*** handling of a cylinder by someone which causes leakage and explodes in my home??? please lets reaason and thhinkk before we put up some boguss policies. this policy is no different from the towing levy.