Towngas Refutes Media Claims

THE MANAGEMENT of Towngas Ghana Limited, sole importers of Composite Gas Cylinders from Norway, have reacted to a front page story published by the Public Agenda newspaper on Monday May 19, 2008 with the headline, “Standards Board Approves Deadly Gas Cylinders”, saying it was false and unfounded.
The first paragraph of the story read:

“The newest type of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) cylinders on the Ghanaian market, called 'Complete Gas Cylinder', which is made of plastic, has been found to be substandard and not fit for use in Ghana”.

According to the paper the product is of “inferior quality compared to the conventional metal cylinders and lacked approval from the Ghana Standards Board”.

A media consultant to Towngas Ghana Limited, Kofi Dokyi Apeatu-Ampaw told pressmen at a media briefing over the weekend in Accra that these concocted stories were coming from sources that wanted to undermine the credibility of both his clients and that of the Ghana Standards Board.

Additionally, the stories, he maintained, were meant to weaken the “competitive advantage of our client's cylinders on the Ghanaian market”.

He was in total shock as to how such stories had gained grounds in the media arena, stressing, “Until the truth is told, the public is the ultimate loser”, hence the move to adequately inform the public about the new Towngas Composite Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) Cylinders.

Documents made available to the media indicated that the Ghana Standards Board registered Towngas Ghana Limited on September 3, 2007, with registration number GSB/DID/LPG/07/14, and gave the company the permission to import “High Risk Goods into Ghana”, under the Ghana Standards Board Decree NRCD 173, 1973 (section 3 (2) (e).

A document in possession of the company reads: “In pursuance of the Standards Decree NRCD 173 Section 3 (2) (e), the Minister of Trade and Industry grants permit to Towngas Ghana Limited to import the High Risk Good(s) shown overleaf - Lightweight Composite Cylinders”, signed on September 5, 2007.

Reply of a reprieve letter, which was addressed to the Chief Executive of the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), J.D. Attafuah, by the Ghana Standards Board on May 7, 2008, with reference number(GSB/DID/104.02/169), noted:

“We write to inform you that Ghana Standards Board has taken sample of LPG Gas Container for analysis. Results of the test indicated that the product is of acceptable quality”.

All transactions between the Board and Towngas Ghana Limited were signed for the Executive Director, Adu G. Darkwa by F.K. Nagetey, Head of Destination Inspection Department.

After going through all these strict and vigorous processes, the National Petroleum Authority confirmed that Towngas Ghana Limited be allowed by the Commissioner of Customs, Excise and Preventive Services (CEPS), to take “delivery of 1,056 pieces of new empty 10 kilogramme LPG containers with 20 mm compact valves as detailed on the attached bill of lading number N00SL4020803342 of March 11, 2008”.

Pix saved in Nathaniel's folder as Kofi Dokyi Apeatu-Ampaw pointing at the Composite LPG Cylinders.

By Nathaniel Y. Yankson