Citizens of Ajumako receive gas cylinders
The Minister of Energy and Petroleum, Mr Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, has distributed 3,000 gas cylinders at Ajumako in the Central Region, appealing to the beneficiaries to observe basic precautionary measures necessary to ensure safety and security.
Mr Buah noted that inability to put in place safety measures with regards to the usage of the liquified petroleum gas-fuelled (LPG) cylinders had resulted in fire outbreaks and loss of lives and property.
Mr Buah made this known in a speech read on his behalf by the Chief Director of the Energy and Petroleum Ministry, Professor Thomas Akabzaa, at the launch of a rural LPG promotion programme at Ajumako in the Central Region.
The objective of the programme was to minimise and eventually eradicate the destructive effects that the continuous burning of firewood had on the environment.
According to the Energy Minister, the government was working assiduously with relevant stakeholders to promote the domestic use of LPG, particularly in the rural areas.
The cylinders were 6kg-size and come with cook stoves and accessories.
Mr Buah said the promotion of the use of LPG in rural areas would undoubtedly eliminate or reduce the levels of health and safety-related challenges confronting the country recently.
The Ministry of Energy and Petroleum was directly engaging LPG marketing companies and local dealers to facilitate the establishment of mini refill plants in rural areas where access to refill centres would not be difficult, he indicated.
“When that was done, it would increase access points in the country, especially in the rural areas,” he said
He noted that the ministry was putting in place measures to ensure that identified local dealers, Maxx Gas and Days Gas, worked with the Ghana Cylinder Manufacturing Company (GCMC) to bring in enough LPG cylinders and cook stoves for all.
Mr Buah hinted that his ministry “is working with relevant stakeholders to come up with guidelines and regulations to reintroduce the cylinder re-circulation model in the country”.
He called on local dealers and businessmen to take advantage of the business opportunities provided and expand the LPG business to all areas in the country by setting up mini refill outlets and vending points in very remote areas.
He added that the country had sufficient reserve of LPG. He said the completion of the Gas Processing Plant at Atuabo would ensure constant flow of the LPG for all Ghanaians.
Mr Buah, however, admonished the beneficiaries of the LPG cylinders not to revert to the use of firewood or charcoal, saying, “should this happen, the government’s efforts would be in vain”.
The District Chief Executive (DCE) of the Ajumako-Enyan-Essiam District, Mr Peter Light Koomson, commended the government for including the district in the LPG project.
