The National Petroleum Authority (NPA) has called on stakeholders in the petroleum downstream sector, particularly the Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) Marketers Association, to reconsider their stance against the newly introduced Cylinder Recirculation Model.

Chief Executive of the NPA, Dr. Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, made this appeal during his speech at the Ghana International Petroleum Conference (GhIPCON) in Accra.

He highlighted that many West African countries, including Togo, Burkina Faso, and Benin, have already adopted the model, deeming it the best distribution policy for domestic LPG use.

“I urge you to reassess your opposition to the Cylinder Recirculation Model because we have to move with the modern times and Ghana cannot be left out. When you look around us, all the West African nations surrounding us are adopting the Cylinder Recirculation Model as the safest way of distributing LPG to homes. We, as a country, must move with the times,” Dr. Abdul-Hamid emphasized.

He argued that the model is not only effective but also has the potential to create numerous job opportunities, particularly for the youth, as opposed to the current filling station concept.

Dr. Abdul-Hamid pointed out the importance of exploring opportunities along the value chain in the distribution and circulation channels.

Under the Cylinder Recirculation Model, residents of Accra and other selected parts of the country will no longer need to own a cylinder to use LPG for domestic and commercial activities. Instead, filled LPG cylinders will be available at exchange points where customers can pay for the content and pick up filled cylinders after registering with their National Identity Card.

Despite the benefits, the policy has faced pushback from some stakeholders since its implementation began. Dr. Abdul-Hamid appealed for support to make the model a success, urging stakeholders to align with modern practices adopted by neighboring countries.

Herbert Krappa, Minister of State at the Ministry of Energy, acknowledged the concerns of the stakeholders and assured continued engagement to ensure that everyone's input is considered in shaping the policy. “Government will continue to engage in order to get everyone on board. Input from dealers will help shape the policy better,” Krappa stated.

This year’s GHIPCON, themed “Petroleum Downstream: Building a Future for Growth, Efficiency, and Sustainability,” provided a platform for discussing the future of Ghana’s petroleum sector and the implementation of new policies like the Cylinder Recirculation Model.