Dr Mohammed Amin Adam, Deputy Minister for Energy in-charge of Petroleum, has urged Ghanaians to embrace the government’s introduction of LPG distribution and marketing.
Not only will the policy create more jobs but also protect lives and property lost to gas explosions, Dr. Amin Adam
He explained that the current model where consumers send their empty LPG cylinders to refilling stations to get it refilled is not the best, arguing, therefore, that it had become necessary to implement the Cylinder Re-circulation Model (CRM) policy for innovation in handling LPG.
The CRM policy would lead to the establishment of LPG bottling plants where cylinders would be refilled and distributed to distribution points.
Ghana is expected to have its first bottling plant in operation this year.
By this, customers would have to go a distribution point with their empty cylinders to exchange for a filled one.
Dr Adam said the decision to introduce CRM was a tough one but government had to do it in the interest of the safety of the citizens.
“Change is difficult and people do not readily accept, but change is a necessity. It brings value. Change will bring innovation and change, if it is positive, will bring improvement in our lives.
“And so when you have changed, that is not intended to destroy but to innovate, to reform and get things better,” he said.
The National Petroleum Authority (NPA), the downstream regulator, has been soliciting the inputs of members of the public at various forums in some parts of the country.
So far, the NPA has engaged with the Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu, Members of the Council of State, residents of Nima and Maamobi, Sunyani and Koforidua, as well as the media.
The Chief Executive of NPA, Hassan Tampuli, said the policy gives room for enormous job opportunities in several key areas.
“There will also be a number of indirect jobs created for installations, maintenance, fabrication and other services. New investment opportunities such as bottling companies, bottle transportation, manufacturing of cylinders and cylinder re-distributors will also be available for grabs.”
Mr Tampuli said the policy would be fully implemented and assured stakeholders there would be no turning back.
“The relevant licences will be issued and safety protocols will be keenly observed to ensure the safety of the good people of Ghana, while increasing access to LPG for domestic, commercial and industrial use from the current 25% level to 50% by 2030,” he concluded.
By: Umar Sheriff/awakenewsonline.com