Scores of consumers yesterday joined queues at various filling stations across the capital to purchase Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) after an acute shortage of the product hit the country.
Checks around the capital by The Ghanaian Times yesterday revealed that the shortage started somewhere last week, causing consumers to rush to the various filling stations to purchase gas upon hearing of its arrival.
The cause of the shortage still remained unclear at press time.
Speaking to a Senior Manager of Gas World Company Limited, which operates 13 LPG filling station branches nationwide, who refused to mention his name, he maintained that the shortage lasted for about 10 days, with the La and Mamprobi branches, being the only branches with little reserves to serve customers during the period.
Despite the severity of the shortage in the other regions, the Manager, allayed the fears of the public over an impending shortage and was optimistic that the situation would normalise by the close of the week.
“I’m well informed that the Bulk Oil Storage and Transport Company Limited (BOST) and Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) have taken delivery of an 11,000 metric tonnes vessel. And I’m aware they are working assiduously to deliver it to us, so there’s no cause for alarm. Currently, we have enough gas”, he said.
The Manager, also disclosed that Fuel Trade, another Bulk Distribution Company (BDC), was in the process of taking delivery of 4,000 metric tonnes of LPG.
He said the shortage was having a toll on consumers in Tamale as well as almost all the stations have run out of stock.
To quickly resolve the situation in the Northern Region and other regions, the Manager, disclosed that LPG carriers have already been dispatched to its branches in those areas.
At Anasset Company Limited filling station at Awudome, the attendant told this reporter that they only experienced the shortage over the weekend, but was currently back in business after taking delivery of the product.
He said they have been promised some extra deliveries in the coming days, adding that customers should not panic about the situation.
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