Marketing companies of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) have increased LPG price by Rs 5-6 per kilo after the depletion of 3,000 tons of LPG surplus reserve in the country. This was stated by the Pattern-in-Chief of All Pakistan LPG Distributors'' Association and Chairman FPCCI Standing Committee on LPG Abdul Hadi Khan here on Friday.
He said that after this increase, LPG will be sold at Rs 95-96 per kilogram in Karachi, Rs 96-97 per kilo in Lahore, Rs 99-100 per kilo in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Peshawar, and Rs 105-107 per kilo in northern areas, FATA, Mansehra, Batgram and AJK. Similarly, the price of 11.8 kg cylinder has been enhanced by Rs 50-60 to Rs 970-980 in Karachi, Rs 1,020-1,030 in Lahore, Rs 1,168-1,180 in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Rs 1,240-1,262 in northern areas, FATA, Batgram and AJK.
Price of 45.4 kg cylinder has been decreased by Rs 210 to Rs 3,732 in Karachi, Rs 3,924 in Lahore, Rs 4,495 in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Rs 4,858 in northern areas, FATA, Batgram and AJK. Hadi pointed out that LPG sale had been doubled in the last one month due to decline in prices, but soon after the depletion of surplus reserves, marketing companies have increased LPG prices, which is again a matter of concern.
He said that due to 5 to 7 times'' price cuts, LPG has come in the reach of common user and its sale surged to 80 percent. However, producers did not enhance their production in accordance with the rise in the sale and, therefore, marketing companies got the opportunity to raise the price on the pretext of supply shortages, he observed. Hadi said that the unexpected price rise has created problems for LPG distributors as well as consumers and they are worried. He expressed fears that prices may further go up as producers are not willing to increase their production. There are clear indications that LPG sales will come down in the country, he added.-PR