The Centre for Environmental Management and Sustainable Energy (CEMSE) has urged the Ministry of Energy and the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) to suspend the US$80/MT fee on Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) to make it affordable for vehicle users.
According to CEMSE, the recent introduction of the fee has led to a surge in LPG prices, making it the most expensive petroleum product in Ghana, and threatening the country’s efforts to promote clean energy in the transport sector.
The organization noted that the price hike has shifted many LPG vehicle users to unclean fossil fuels, undermining Ghana’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) to reduce Carbon Dioxide (CO2) emissions by 15% in the transport sector.
CEMSE recommended that the US$80/MT fee be directed towards exchange points where cylinder investment and bottling are needed to implement the Cylinder Recirculation Model (CRM), to avoid derailing LPG consumption by households.
The organization emphasized that the suspension of the fee would promote the usage of LPG among vehicles and contribute greatly to achieving Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG7) in the transport sector.
The call by CEMSE follows the introduction of the US$80/MT fee on LPG by the Ministry of Energy and NPA, which has been criticized as unfair and unjustified.
