This archive report was first published on 15 December 2019.
On December 15, 2019, the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) implemented a ban on the exchange of cooking gas cylinders between brands. However, informal gas vendors in estates have continued to defy this ban.
According to the revised Energy (Liquefied Petroleum Gas) Regulations, which came into effect in June, EPRA abolished the mandatory cylinder exchange pool that marketers blamed for opening unsafe parallel refilling channels.
Under the new regulations, a person is not allowed to refill an LPG cylinder without the permission of the brand owner. Despite this, informal sellers continue to exchange cylinders without approval, highlighting the difficulty in regulating the practice.
EPRA Director-General Pavel Oimeke stated that some business owners continue to disregard the law, and that the authority is undertaking crackdowns to ensure compliance.
“Exchange of cylinders without the approval of EPRA is illegal. We are undertaking crackdowns to ensure compliance,” Oimeke said.
Oimeke added that stiff penalties within the regulation are helping to reduce the exchange of cylinders at some outlets, with a nationwide crackdown on the cards.
“However, EPRA will continue undertaking surveillance in collaboration with other agencies such as the National Police Service, the Anti-Counterfeit Agency and the Directorate of Occupational Safety and Health and Services,” he added.
