LPG cylinder prices raised by Tk 102

Consumers will have to pay Tk 102 more for a 12kg cylinder of Liquefied Petroleum Gas from next month after the Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) raised the price from Tk 891 to Tk 993.

The new prices, adjusted on the basis of global fuel market rates, will be effective from August 1.

The price of 1-litre auto gas will be Tk 48.71, which is Tk 44 now.

BERC Chairman Md Abdul Jalil came up with the new price announcement at a virtual press briefing on Thursday.

According to BERC, the LPG cylinder gas price was re-fixed on the basis of Saudi Aramco contract price of Propane and Butane and will be effective from August 1.

However, the price for state-run LP Gas Limited's 12.5kg cylinder will remain unchanged at Tk 591 due to no change in the production cost, the BERC chairman said at the briefing.

Addressing the press conference, he said: “From August 1, per kg LPG price will be Tk 82.75 which is Tk 74.24 in the current month and the price of other size LPG cylinders will be in accordance with the rate.”

On April 12 this year, BERC for the first time fixed the price of both public and private LPG cylinders, which was strongly opposed by the private LPG operators.

LPG Operators Association of Bangladesh has recently written a letter to BERC to stop carrying out any mobile court launched for ensuring the sale of LPG at fair prices.

There are growing complaints that LPG distributors are charging higher prices for LPG cylinders as the consumers are forced to buy 12kg cylinders at Tk 1,050 to Tk 1,100 which is supposed to be sold at Tk 891.

Among others, BERC members Maqbool E-Elahi Chowdhury, Mohammad Abu Faruk, Bazlur Rahman, secretary Rubina Ferdous and deputy director Kamruzzaman, were present at the press conference.