The government has introduced mandatory, tightened safety regulations covering the importation, transport, and storage of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cylinders and their regulators. The measures follow a review of the standards governing the sector and are intended to close gaps that officials say allowed substandard equipment to reach consumers.

The decision follows a series of cylinder explosions last year that resulted in loss of life and significant damage to property. The incidents prompted immediate concern within the government and led to the formation of a review committee tasked with examining existing safety standards and identifying where they had failed.

Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce Susan Rodrigues said the explosions had exposed weaknesses in the systems meant to protect consumers. She said the government had moved quickly to establish the review committee once the scale of the risk became apparent, and that the resulting recommendations formed the basis of the new regulatory framework. Rodrigues said the aim was to ensure that cylinders reaching households and businesses met a consistent safety standard, regardless of where they were manufactured or imported from.

Under the revised framework, the updated standards become compulsory rather than advisory. Importers will be restricted to bringing in only cylinders and regulators that meet the newly defined safety thresholds, a change intended to prevent lower-cost, non-compliant products from entering the market.

Two agencies will share responsibility for enforcement. The National Bureau of Standards will monitor the physical compliance of cylinders and regulators, checking that equipment entering the country meets the technical specifications set out in the new standards. The Energy Agency will oversee protocols for the safe transportation and storage of the products, with the goal of ensuring cylinders reach consumers undamaged and are handled correctly at every stage of the supply chain.

Officials said the revised standards were drafted following an extended period of public consultation. Discussions were held with major industry stakeholders and suppliers before the final framework was settled, a process the government says was necessary given the range of businesses affected by the changes, from large importers to small local distributors.

The new measures place greater responsibility on importers and local suppliers to guarantee the safety of their products before they reach the end user. Where compliance was previously treated as a matter of general good practice, it will now carry the weight of formal regulation, with suppliers expected to demonstrate that their cylinders and regulators meet the required thresholds before distribution. Industry figures have been informed that inspections and compliance checks are expected to become more frequent as the new system takes hold.

A formal public notice has already been published in the Official Gazette, setting out the substance of the revised standards and signalling the government's intent to move toward full enforcement. A legally binding order is expected to be issued in the coming months, which will formally activate the compulsory system and give the National Bureau of Standards and the Energy Agency the authority to enforce it in full.

Until that order is issued, the published standards serve as a guide for importers and suppliers seeking to bring their operations into line ahead of the deadline. Officials have indicated that businesses found to be out of compliance once the order takes effect could face restrictions on their ability to import or distribute LPG cylinders.

The explosions that prompted the review remain under scrutiny, and the government has said the new framework forms part of a broader effort to strengthen oversight of the LPG sector. Further details on enforcement mechanisms and penalties for non-compliance are expected to be published alongside the binding order later this year.

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