Accra, March 29, GNA - The Minister of Environment, Science and Technology, Mr Cletus Avoka, said at the weekend that, in spite of the recent increase in the price of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), it remains the fuel of choice in economic and environmental terms.

He said the high price of gas is not meant to put off low-income earners or domestic users but a response to the economic realities of the times. Speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Accra, Mr Avoka said it is in the interest of the government to promote nation-wide usage of gas.

The government introduced gas usage and kept the price low to discourage the use of charcoal and fuel wood for domestic purposes because of their negative effects on forests.

The Minister said unfortunately, the main objective for keeping the price of gas low and within the reach of the poor to induce them to switch to its usage has been defeated by commercial users of gas.

He said private and commercial vehicles, including taxis, which were previously using petrol and diesel, have switched to the use of gas. Though the legislation that regulates the use of gas by vehicles is still in the statute books, its enforcement has been difficult.

The National Petroleum Board recently increased the price of LPG by 60 per cent. Environmental groups and individuals, including the Federation of Environmental Journalists (FEJ) and Friends of the Earth, Ghana, have criticised the increase, saying it would compel middle-income earners to revert to the use of fuel wood, which would further aggravate the destruction of forests.