The price of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) has been raised by Rs 9,900 per ton, traders said. According to details, the marketing companies on Tuesday increased Rs 10 per kg, Rs 110 per 11.5 kg and Rs 447 per 45.4 kg cylinder of LPG. Talking to Business Recorder, chairman of All Pakistan LPG Distributions Association, Abdul Hadi Khan, said that LPG price had surged by $125 per ton in international market.
He said that LPG price, which was earlier $380 per ton, was now being imported at $505 per ton. However, local producers, who produce the product domestically and are not linked to global market, have substantially increased the price of the gas, which reached up to Rs 44860 per ton. He said that local producers had illegally increased LPG price. He said that they had argued there was a wide gas in demand and supply of LPG due to its inadequate production during winter.
Therefore, LPG price had been increased, aimed at minimising its consumption to cater its demand. Hadi termed it as unjustified, saying that the new hike in LPG rates would badly hit the industry, and added that the concept of providing cheapest fuel to the masses had been tarnished.
He stressed the need of evolving policy to fix LPG per ton price. "If the government took positive measure in this regard, the consumers would get LPG at very appropriate price," he said. He said that the government should establish a task force to control LPG price, besides taking stern action against those marketing companies, distributors and producers who were overcharging consumers.