Koforidua, July 21, GNA - Some residents in the New Juaben Municipality have appealed to the Government to consider increasing the price of Liquidated Petroleum Gas (LPG) for commercial drivers to ensure that the product would be available for domestic use at all times.

According to the residents per the explanation of the Ghana National Petroleum Company (GNPC), periodic gas shortage in some parts of the country could be attributed to commercial drivers who are now using the product instead of petrol.

The residents who made the call in separate interviews with GNA in Koforidua noted that because the LPG was subsidized by government for domestic use, there was the need for a measure to ensure that it served the intended target. Some of the residents who had closed their restaurants for lack of gas noted that whiles they bought the product and use for months, the commercial drivers bought almost twice in a week and that phenomena had put pressure on the LPG.

For months now residents in Koforidua have been moving from one filling station to another to look for gas but to no avail even to the extent of trekking all the way to Tafo in the East Akyem Municipality to look for the product.

The situation had compelled some restaurants and food vendors to resort to the use of charcoal and at times suspend operations until they had gas. Some of the gas filling stations that GNA spoke to said no sooner had they had their supplies, than the consignment got finished since the commercial drivers bought them on daily basis.