The LPG Marketing Companies Association of Ghana, explained Thursday that the decision to suspend the sale of LPG product indefinitely is to allow for their technical team to conduct a comprehensive safety audit of their facilities.
The move, the Association further added, was aimed at protecting the integrity of their businesses following the closure of some of their facilities by the National Petroleum Authority for failing to uphold the utmost safety standards.
“…The more the NPA closes our outlets down, it affects the integrity of our business. So we need to make sure that the Ghanaian confidence in our business is so high and it won’t be as if because the NPA is closing us down. It means that in terms of adhering to safety regulations we were not doing that,” Bernard Owiredu of the LPG Marketing Companies Association told host of Morning Starr Francis Abban.
According to Mr Owiredu, the safety of Ghanaians is “paramount” and that “our taskforce signs you [gas station] off, a gas station cannot operate.”
Following the gas explosion that killed seven people and injured over 130 others, the NPA, adhering to President Akufo-Addo’s directive closed down about 21 “high-risk” LPG filling stations for non-compliant of safety guides.
Again, the president ordered the implementation of the Cylinder Re-circulation Model of LPG distribution. The module, according to the NPA will ensure LPG filling points are sited out of densely populated areas and commercial centres.
This, however, did not go down well with the LPG Marketers Association and the Gas Tanker Drivers.
That notwithstanding, Mr. Owiredu stated that their recent action should not be been seen as a protest to the presidential directive, saying: “We need to do this thing so that when you visit an outlet to get an LPG you are rest assured that the safety is high up there.”
“It’s not because we want to spite anybody or do it as a way to rescind any decision,” he added.
Source: Ghana/Starrfmonline.com/103.5FM
