THE National Petroleum Authority (NPA), a regulator of the petroleum downstream industry in Ghana yesterday took its annual Consumer Week Celebration to Obra Spot, Kwame Nkrumah Circle, to educate Ghanaians, especially lorry drivers, on the usage of Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) in the country.
The consumer week celebration is observed every November, each year, to educate the public on the safe use of petroleum products and increase the public’s knowledge on their rights and responsibilities.
res in parts of the country in recent times, as reported by the media.
Speaking at the launch of the week, the Chief Executive of the NPA, Moses Asaga lamented that, “there have been series of explosions involving LPG Cylinders and LPG related fi
“We are concerned about these incidents, hence our focus on safety to intensify public education on the safe use and handling of LPG. These LPG related accidents have caused many deaths, injuries and destroyed properties worth millions of cedis”.
He, therefore, called on Ghanaians to observe safety rules when dealing with LPG-from bulk storage haulage, retailing and domestic handling to ensure that these accidents are reduced to the barest minimum, if not completely eliminated.
At the industry level, Mr. Asaga told the well-attended gathering that teams of technical inspectors are constantly on the move inspecting all facilities in the petroleum product supply chain, stressing from the depots, and in transit through to the retail station. They have a firm grip on these areas.
The challenge, however, he said “is the domestic handling where there is no inspector at homes and point of usage to check that the consumer is doing the right thing. Which is why we are dedicating this week to inform and educate the public that LPG is safe, if used safely? Hence the theme ‘LPG: A Friend Not An enemy’.”
Touching on awareness creation programmes, Mr. Asaga noted that over the years NPA had used a series of publicity mix to drive home the message on the safe use of LPG.
To this end, the NPA boss said “We are intensifying our audio visual animation on the safe uses of LPG which is currently showing on GTV in both English and other local languages.
“We are going to increase the telecast of these series to other networks in the coming days with a media mix of radio, TV, newspaper, website and all trending social media to ensure that no one is left in the sensitization process.
“We are also going to include radio, community durbars to remind the people that LPG is safe and they should use it safely”.
Over the years, consumption of LPG has witnessed a considerable increase. An average of 228,000 metric tonnes of LPG is supplied every year from 2010 till date.
This represents 8% of the total average petroleum products supplied to the market, according to Mr. Asaga.
It is estimated that the auto users of LPG consume about 58% of the total annual LPG supplied while households, other commercial activists and industry, together consume the remaining 42% as at 2013.
Consumption of LPG is projected to increase to 491, 000 metric tonnes in 2020 and 1.2million metric tonnes by 2030, he revealed.
This, Mr. Asaga indicated: “We have accepted LPG as a cheaper fuel. What is left to achieve is to remind consumers on the safe uses of LPG”.
A Deputy Minister of Energy and Petroleum, John Abdulai Jinapor said the theme for this year’s consumer Week Celebration could not have come at any better time than now, and called on all to make safety the key word in handling LPG, to reduce if not eliminate the reported cases fires associated with LPG.
LPG is safe if used safely. LPG is cleaner for our environment and still remains the cheaper fuel for domestic use. It ensures that the environment is presented for the next generation with the selling of fewer trees for wood fuels, he stated.
African Eye News.com
