The National Petroleum Authority (NPA) has launched the pilot of the Cylinder Recirculation Model (CRM) project at the Yendi municipality in the Northern Region.
The project forms part of measures taken by government to reduce the dangers associated with the use of the Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) in Ghana.
The Chief Executive Officer of the NPA, Mr Hassan Tampuli in highlighting the importance of the CRM last Friday on the theme: “Securing our safety and also creating more jobs for the youth”, said the country in the past few years has witnessed a number petroleum related accidents as a result of misuse and sometimes arrant inappropriate handling of various forms of petroleum products, especially LPG.
He said consumer safety is high on the agenda of President Nana Akufo-Addo and government, which he added, has informed the introduction of the Cylinder Recirculation Model of LPG distribution in the country.
Mr Tampuli noted that this policy decision seeks to develop a market driven structure to ensure safety and increase access of LPG to about 50 percent by the year 2030.
He added this is also to ensure the existence of robust, standard health, safety and environmentally friendly practice in the production, marketing and consumption of LPG.
According to the NPA Boss, the choice of Yendi as pilot area in the northern region was as a result of good control and traceability of cylinders, active refilling outlets with consistent LPG sales over the last assessment period and the multiplicity of LPG marketing companies in the municipality.
Lawyer Hassan Tampuli maintained that the Yendi municipality serves as the gateway to the eastern corridor.
“I need also to remind us that Yendi is the gateway to the eastern corridor, it’s through Yendi that we get to Bimbila, Wulensi, Kpandai; to Zabzugu, Tatale, Saboba, Chereponi and Gushegu to the Karaga districts” he explained.
“So the position of Yendi makes it even more imperative that we do a pilot programme here in order for us to reach out to all these connecting districts and municipalities in the eastern corridor” he added.
He announced that additional cylinders have been procured to augment the ones people use at home.
“All you need to do now is to take an empty cylinder and pick a filled cylinder ranging between 3kg, 6kg and 14.5kg depending on your financial strength to your home”.
For his part, Chairman of the Pilot Committee Mr. Kwaku Agyeman-Duah urged the people of Yendi particularly the youth to take advantage of the exercise to create jobs for themselves.
He implored the people to identify job opportunities during the implementation process and make good use of them.
Mr Agyeman-Duah pointed out that the key mandate and objective of the committee is to translate the concept and thoughts of the national implementing committee to into reality.
He however observed some challenges in the pilot exercise thus far, giving assurance that the challenges were being addressed.
