DPR tasks LPG stakeholders on gas penetration in rural communities
…Abolishes decanting of gas in shops
The Department of Petroleum Resources, DPR, has tasked Liquefied Petroleum Gas, LPG, stakeholders to key into the aspirations of the Federal Government to make LPG accessible to users across the country, including the rural communities.
DPR has also announced an immediate end to decanting of LPG (cooking gas) in the shops and markets by retailers, warning that the agency will clamp down on anyone involved in such practices.
Zonal Operations Comptroller of DPR, Port Harcourt, Bassey Nkanga, who gave the charge at LPG Stakeholders’ Meeting in Port Harcourt, tasked LPG plant operators and depot owners not to sell LPG to unlicensed LPG retailers and marketers.
Nkanga explained that in line with the Federal Government directive to make LPG available to every Nigerian, DPR will give all the necessary support to the stakeholders to back up their business successfully.
He further stated that add-ons would rather be converted to autogas stations, while assuring that the Federal Government’s plans to open up LPG utilization in the country will generate a lot of employment in the country.
According to him, “The reason for this meeting is to encourage you to key into the Federal Government aspirations to make LPG accessible to every nook and crannies of the country, even the rural areas.
“We will always give you all the necessary support to back up your business successfully. We will work together to achieve government aspirations to penetrate LPG usage even up to rural communities.”
“Plans are ongoing to clamp down on any LPG retailer involved in decanting of gas in the shop or at homes. We have set up a monitoring unit to arrest defaulters, seized their equipment and they will pay fine.”
The Zonal DPR boss also urged defaulters and stakeholders operating without operational license to come forward to renew or obtained their license from the agency.
“We are giving two weeks for defaulters to come forward for regularisation to renew their licence, and for those whose license has expired and or obtained a license for those who do not previously have license and have been operating illegally.
“We have a mandate from the Federal Government to ensure that stakeholders comply with safety guidelines. We have a mandate to ensure that only licenced LPG operators are allowed to operate.
“We have a mandate to remove any form of delay in obtaining licences, in line with the federal government ease of doing business directive.
“If you have any challenge, come forward and we will look into it,” Nkanga urged the stakeholders.
Speaking on behalf of the stakeholders, the Zonal Chairman, National Association of Liquefied Petroleum Gas Marketers, NALPGAM, Mr. Sam Okafor, commended DPR for the meeting and pledged to synergize with the agency to meet its aims.
SOURCE: sweetcrudereports
