Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) users across the country may have to brace themselves for an acute shortage of the product as distributors are threatening a nationwide suspension of their service during the yuletide.
The move is to protest government’s decision to implement the cylinder re-circulation module, which was proposed by the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) to ensure that LPG filling points are sited out of densely 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 government’s assessment.
The New Crusading GUIDE has gathered that has gathered that the Ghana LPG Marketing Companies (LPGM) and its affiliates are planning to lay down their tools to register their protest.
Currently, the relationship between government and the LPGM has been marred by trust issues, as the latter suspect’s foul play in the implementation of the proposed policy.
Vice President of LPGM, Mr. Gabby Kumi who confirmed this to our reporter explained although the LPG policy issues has been on the burner for sometime now the sector Ministry recently put in place an implementation committee to work on the policy.
However, the association pulled out of the committee’s deliberations, as they explained that their activities were inimical to their survival as an industry. “When we pulled out the Deputy Minister in charge of Petroleum, Mr. Amin Anta invited us to his office and urged us to go back to the implementation committee to lay our grievances for the committee to addresses,” he added
Having heeded to the plea of the Deputy Minister, they returned to the discussion table and the committee according to him was reconstituted. But once again in a similar fashion their grievances were rejected by the committee Chairman, Mr. Hassan Tampuli who redirected members of the association to go back to the Ministry.
Following the back and forth and what they describe as bad faith on the part of government , Mr. Kumi noted that his group has written several letters to the Minister for Energy Mr. Boakye Agyarko, requesting a meeting but none of their letters has since been replied.
Asked what the association intends to do next after the expiration of the ultimatum given the ministry he said, the group is considering all constitutional and legitimate means to press home their demands.
He lamented the financial challenges facing the industry since the announcement of the implementation of the policy which would eventually get all of them out of business. “Banks are chasing us to recoup their facility. They are acting negatively to wards us.
“This is an old industry and you have Ghanaians who have built this system over the years and you implement a policy without informing us. We are nowhere listed in the value chain. They are just out to collapse our business and nobody is ready to listen to us,” he cried out.
Source: New Crusading Guide
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Masa a bad fetish priest that has stood by a sick person for a while should you find a good priest priest you do not disown him completely.There is more to this than what we are seeing or hearing my little investigation I have personally conduct into all this LPG brouhaha is that the government has sold that industry to Global LPG partners (GLPGP)(you can check up on them) for $350million .Now these people have investors who are solely into LPG.Now knowing very well that there is a bigger market in Africa compare to Europe and the USA where electricity is a cheaper source of energy compared to LPG.These guys are now using their financial resources to buy the LPG industry in Africa.In the USA one can go to an LPG refilling point and fill your empty barbecue cylinder there so it is not true that the USA does not practice our current module of LPG refilling .As the explosions I do not entirely blame the LPG for the recent explosions my checks is that there are two types of gas in Ghana.Gas from atuabo is actually propane with a pressure level ranging between 10-14 bars which contains more air less liquid which is good for the cars .Now the Gas imported into country is butane with a pressure level range between 3-7 bars which contains less air more liquid which is also good for cooking.Now propane is highly inflammable compared to butane.propane needs a source of heat to ignite whilst butane needs a naked fire to ignite.The most dangerous part of the matter the propane from atuabo has no scent therefore making it very difficult to detect any form of leakage whilst butane has scent in it.propane is usually used in winter in USA making it less dangerous.My suspicion was confirmed when I learnt that all the explosions that occurred the (Trade fair,Takoradi and Atomic) were all from atuabo and we will continue to experience it even in our homes till something is done about it.Propane is not good for this country.I really pity the LPMC people it's quite unfortunate that they have been made victims and the government has succeeded in whipping public sentiments against them
After filling those cylinders from the off densely populated points, where do we send the filled bottles? Having those filled cylinders in our homes is even more dangerous than the filling centers. NPA and the Govt should come again. Why do we always want to implement policies which favors foreign companies? Is it the 10% or what? Accidents are bound to happen in any industry. Is it not so obvious that gas accidents which occurred have a common trend? Lets intensify the driver/mate education visa-vi the attendants education and stop this needless policy of trying to get a contract for a foreign company.............................I support any strike action by these operators. Its about high time people with the requisite knowledge are employed to man the affairs of certain critical institutions.
asem ooo. Why not publish all unacceptable words in the Daily Graphic or Ghanaian times?
I wish life had been fair by making these people victims of the gas explosions witnessed in the country. What kind of people are we? God help us! In Amerika, LPGs are sold by some designated stores. They are caged in front of the stores. Stores like Walmart, Kroger, CVS , Walgreens etc sell them. You wouldn't see anyone go to buy it from a fuel station unless for his/her vehicle.
vampires, as far as they get their moneys human life does not matter. Nation wreckers
Saboteurs! Let gov. find alternative and put 'these nation enemies' aside. they are only interested in what they will get whether it will kill people or not.