The National Petroleum Authority (NPA), says it is on course to making Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG) affordable to consumers in its quest to reduce charcoal consumption by households.

Ghanaian households are being urged to use LPG instead of charcoal for domestic use, but the high cost of LPG has compelled many households to use charcoal.

Speaking at a sensitization of market women in Bolga, on the use of LPG to avert domestic fires, the Public Relations Officer of the NPA, Mohammed Abdul-Kudus, hinted that, LPG consumers will have some respite soon.

“There has been a position paper by the NPA to cabinet seeking to have a lot of the taxes and levies on the price build-up on gas either removed or reduced so that it can bring the prices of LPG down to make it more affordable.

“The cabinet is in consideration of that particular position paper, we are hoping that we will get a green light so that we can have a further drop in the prices of LPG.”

Mr. Kudus hinted that NPA was targeting 50 percent penetration of LPG usage as an alternative to drastically reduce the menace associated with the use of charcoal.

He cautioned that users of charcoal were susceptible to respiratory diseases compared to LPG hence the need to increase LPG usage among households.

Upper East Regional Safety Officer of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), Bright Awonatey Akobanyam, expressed worry at the spate of domestic household fires in the region and urged LPG users to adhere to safety protocols.

Mr. Akobanyam, admonished LPG users to turn their burners and cylinders off when not in use, place all has cylinders outside the kitchen, change the delivery tube every six months and frequently check the burner and cylinder to address leakages.

Speaking to Citi News, some of the market women commended the NPA and the GNFS for the sensitization and pledged to disseminate fire safety to their peers and households to avert domestic fires.