Govt urged to extend relief to LPG consumers

ISLAMABAD: Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) Distributors Association has urged the government to make measures for provision of gas at affordable price to consumers who are already grappling to make ends meet.

" An increase in LPG price and that is too illegal, is like a thunderbolt for the consumers who hardly meet basic expenses of their households, so government should work out remedial measures to arrest the unbridled trend in LPG prices which are on rising trajectory these days," the association's secretary Irsalan Khokar said on Tuesday.

He said the marketing companies were creating artificial gas shortage or they sold locally produced LPG at the price of imported one in order to pocket extra money by-passing undue prices onto the common consumers.

He said the OGRA was supposed to take action against marketing companies which were involved in unfair business practices and extend relief to consumers. But unfortunately, the regulatory authority was taking no action and those unethical business forces were minting money through illegal practices in LPG market.

Similarly, marketing companies did not import prescribed quota of LPG, leading to widening supply and demand gap of LPG in the country.

He said the association had prepared a summary spelling out approach to offset shocks in LPG market and maintain the commodity's price at affordable range for the consumers throughout the year.

He said several rounds of the meetings were held with concerned officials to discuss the guidelines and proposals to thrash out strategy for implementation.

He said the current local production stood at 1600 tons per day and its demand had soared to 3000 tons per day, necessitating the government to put LPG market in order and extend relief to consumers.

He said the demand was likely to further rise if domestic sector was not supplied gas supply smoothly in peak winter season.

He was of the view that hefty duties and taxes on LPG import was an impediment to the government's efforts to ensure its stocks at adequate level, thus policymakers should revive matters on this front as well.