NPA closes down 36 gas stations

Thirty-six gas filling stations have been closed down by the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) for not meeting industry requirements.

The infractions include non-payment of statutory and distributors' margins as well as non-compliance with safety protocols.

Ghana has recorded eight gas explosions in the past three years, resulting in many deaths and the injury of more than 150 people.

The recent explosion occured at the Atomic Junction at Madina near Accra on Saturday, October 7, 2017 and injured 132 others.

According to the acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the NPA, Mr Hassan Tampuli, the shutdown of the gas stations was part of an exercise by the NPA to promote sanity and safety in the petroleum downstream sector.

He told the Daily Graphic in an interview that some of the gas filling plants had no permit to operate.

According to him, more than 90 gas refill plants had been inspected with more to be inspected in the coming weeks.

Safety first

He said the NPA had always been committed to the safety of the public and would continue to work round the clock to get the gas plants to work within the safety protocols.

Mr Tampuli said the NPA was engaging stakeholders to ensure that all outstanding issues were resolved for the benefit of all.

Suspension of shutdown

Marketers of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), earlier this week, suspended their operations with the reason that they were engaging in routine maintenance of their plants.

However, a press release signed by the CEO of the Association of Oil Marketing Companies (AOMCs), Mr Kwaku Agyemang-Duah and issued in Accra ont Thursday, said the LPG marketers had decided to reschedule their planned maintenance.

"That the LPG operators have resolved to reschedule the maintenance of their retail outlets in a manner to ensure uninterrupted supply of LPG in the interest of our cherished consumers, effectively and immediately," the statement said.

The association, however, expressed its displeasure with the current mode of the NPA's operations which they said were culminating in "disenchantment and unyielding distress."

The marketers, nonetheless, expressed their readiness to dialogue with the Ministry of Energy to resolve all issues.