The Africa Centre for Energy Policy (ACEP) is asking government to subsidize Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) to sustain the free rural LPG cylinders project.
The programme which is aimed at halting the burning of charcoal has not yielded the desired results. Reports indicate that beneficiaries are selling the cylinders because they cannot afford to buy the gas.
Meanwhile the Deputy Minister for Energy and Petroleum, John Jinapor had earlier warned that persons caught selling the cylinders will face the full rigors of the law during the distribution.
But Citi Business News checks reveal that some of the cylinders are being sold on the open market. Speaking to Citi Business News Director of Research and Programmes at Africa Centre for Energy Policy John Peter Awuni says government should rather make available the gas to the underprivileged at a reduced cost to halt the sale of the cylinders.
“Giving out cylinders without any means of affording the gas, its becomes a difficult issue because they need cash to buy the gas and as long as they are not able in a competitive position to purchase the gas the cylinder distribution is meaningless and that is why we are seeing them sell these cylinders.”
John Peter Awuni asked that the country gets a good data base and subsidize what actually the consumer’s need being the gas by designating some particular gas filling stations to fill the particular cylinders which should be special marks or emblems put on them, so they become identifiable by the gas filling stations.
“The gas is what they need so if you provide the gas a little bit cheaper then the cylinder would be put into good use”
