NPA establishes task force to ensure price deregulation guidelines are followed
The National Petroleum Authority (NPA) has established a price surveillance task force to ensure that the price deregulation guidelines are being followed as required.
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The Chief Executive of the authority, Mr Moses Asaga, said the deregulation was the best way to ensure the regulation of the industry and safeguard customer interest.
The policy, in addition to a revised procedure for granting permits for the siting of petroleum products retail outlets, he said, reflected a multi-stakeholder approach, safety and quality service.
Speaking at the NPA’s consumer safety week celebration at Axim in the Western Region, Mr Asaga said the approach formed part of a strategic approach to industry and had proven to be more efficient and collaborative in ensuring that all licence conditions were adequately met and the right quantity was dispensed to customers.
Consumer week
The Consumer Week celebration was on the theme: Petroleum products are safe: Use them safely. The fifth edition of the event , which is observed every year, was to educate the public on the safe use of petroleum products, as well as increase the knowledge of the consuming public on their rights and responsibilities.
The choice of Axim for the celebration was to use the opportunity to educate the fishing community on the safe handling of premix fuel.
Prior to the celebration, the NPA engaged various landing beach committees, transport unions and more than 2,000 fishermen and processors from Shama, Aboadze, Funko, Sekondi, Takoradi, Dixcove, Half-Assini and Axim on the safe use of the product.
Records at Burns Centre
Mr Asaga expressed worry about statistics from the Reconstructive Plastic Surgery and Burns Centre of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, which indicates that 35 per cent of all burns recorded at the facility since 2011 were petroleum products- related.
The NPA, he stated, views this trend as worrying and is intensely working to raise awareness on safe ways of using petroleum products to curb injuries and deaths from LPG, petrol, premix and other petroleum-related fires.
The public, he emphasised, had a role to play in ensuring the safe use of petroleum products, saying, “we therefore urge the general public to adhere to the safety precautions being propagated.”
Mr Asaga further stated that the NPA had managed to achieve an improvement in the performance of all petroleum service providers, including their facilities such as depots, filling stations and LPG refilling plants.
NPA commended
For his part, the Minister of Petroleum, Mr Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, commended the NPA for its awareness campaign to prevent needless deaths and injuries which occur from the use of petroleum products.
“The issue of safety in the use of petroleum products has been high on the agenda of the government for years and the ministry, together with the NPA, have consistently educated Ghanaians on staying safe while using these products.”
He advised the public on the need to be safety conscious and always bear in mind the dangers inherent in the use of petroleum products.
The minister later presented portable cylinders and cookers to the Home Economic departments of participating schools, fishing communities and traditional rulers.
