The Nigerian Association of Liquefied Petroleum Gas Marketers (NALPGAM), on Thursday, said the price of cooking gas would soon crash as 13,000 tonnes would be discharged at Apapa Terminal on Friday.
Executive Secretary of the association, Mr. Bassey Essein, said in Lagos that a vessel loaded with 13,000 tonnes from Bonny terminal, belonging to the Nigeria Liquidfied Natural Gas (NLNG), was expected to berth.
The NLNG has, between January and February, discharged over 13,000 tonnes of LPG at the Lagos Terminal jetty to ease scarcity.
According to Essein, it is expected that when the gas is discharged at the terminal, it will be sufficient to reduce the price of cooking gas nationwide.
“The LPG product pricing is always guided by availability of product.
“The fact remains that LPG vessel costs a lot of money to charter, with attendant high demurrage if not discharged on time to allow the vessel sail out,’’ he said.
The NALPGAM scribe appealed to the Federal Government to intervene and ensure that the Nigerian LNG Ltd., supplied cooking gas at domestic rate rather than the current international price at which the company was selling to domestic consumers
He said that the issue of domestic pricing was another factor militating against increasing consumption pattern of cooking gas in Nigeria.
Essein said it was becoming clear that subsidy payment on kerosene was not sustainable, adding that government could only use 20 per cent of what it was using on kerosene to support cooking gas consumption.
He said there was the need to sensitise stakeholders that government’s sincere commitment to LPG consumption was highly required and not debatable.
“LPG will boost GDP, provide employment and create friendly environment without emissions.
“We commend NLNG for its timely intervention in LPG supplies, but we want the company to fast track the West African gas price index it is developing,” he said. (NAN)