Distributors of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) have voiced concern over increase in the prices and threatened to launch a country-wide protest, to press the authorities to take steps to reduce the prices.
They asked the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources to check the unabated increase caused by the LPG producers to protect them as well as consumers.
Addressing a news conference here on Thursday, Chairman of LPG Distributors Association Abdul Hadi Khan along with other office bearers said that producers of LPG have made an unprecedented increase of over 63 percent during last six months, due to which rate of a domestic cylinder has soared to Rs 470 from Rs 330. This has also trimmed the commission of distributors from Rs 23 to Rs 5 per cylinder, he pointed out.
According to him, the price hike made by LPG producers has put an additional burden on the consumers. "It is, therefore, our demand that the government must evolve a system so that the prices of LPG could not go beyond prescribed limits," he said. He also urged the government to exempt LPG from GST to provide relief to the general consumers.
"In Karachi, we have given a protest call for Friday and Saturday to condemn the price hike and if the government did not meet our demands, the protest will be extended to other parts of the country, " he warned.
Earlier, LPG distributors held a convention and formed a body called "LPG Distributors Association" and nominated its office bearers for a period of three-month to run its day-to-day affairs. A. Hadi Khan was nominated chairman and Haji Yasin, Ameer Naushad and Sultan Bangash as President, Patron in chief and Patron, respectively.
Meanwhile according to a release of LPG Association of Pakistan, the Secretary Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources has assured that prices of LPG will be reduced before Ramazan for the advantage of consumers.
The Secretary gave this assurance, during his meeting with a delegation of LPG Association of Pakistan who, led by its Chairman Iqbal Z. Ahmed called on him.
According to M. Irfan Khokkar, spokesman for the Association, the meeting remained successful and LPG prices will be decreased in two-three days.
He said the association is thankful to the Secretary who took interest in this matter. He further said that the Association will work closely with the government to keep the prices of LPG stable in future.