Retailers charge up to Tk 400 extra

——— The New Age Report/ February 05, 2023 

Gas consumers are forced to pay up to Tk 400 extra for buying a cylinder of 12-kilogramme liquefied petroleum gas from the retail markets in the capital and elsewhere in the country.

Many people on Saturday claimed that they had been paying between Tk 1,800 and Tk 1,900 for a 12-kg LPG cylinder for the past two days in Dhaka after the government increased the gas price.

The Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission on Thursday hiked the price of liquefied petroleum gas by Tk 266 to Tk 1,498 for a 12-kg cylinder.

In the previous month, the cylinder price was Tk 1,232.

After the recent price rise, people were supposed to pay Tk 266 more, but the retailers are cashing in on the situation.

Consumers Association Bangladesh president Ghulam Rahman told New Age that as the government adjusted the LPG price, it should ensure that the businesses would charge consumers accordingly.

He urged the government agencies to take legal action against those violating rules.

‘It is sad that the government has no control over the market. If the Directorate of National Consumers Right Protection and other law enforcement agencies boost market monitoring, they can rein in illegitimate price hike,’ he added.

Directorate of National Consumers Right Protection director general AHM Shafiquzzaman told New Age that they did not have capacity to monitor everything as they had to give priority over monitoring prices of essential commodities ahead of Ramadan.

‘We lay importance on the LPG price, but we have not enough manpower. We have issued letters to all deputy commissioners in this regard for price monitoring,’ he added.

‘The BERC would monitor the issue and take action against those charging high prices. It can cancel their licences too.’

Dina Rahman, a housewife in the capital’s Green Road, said, ‘We bought a 12-kg LPG cylinder at Tk 1,800 on Friday which was selling between Tk 1,400 and Tk 1,500 earlier.’

‘The prices of all essentials have gone up. The recent rise in gas price is like rubbing salt into the wound.’

A tea seller Md Sohag in Dhanmondi said that he bought a 12-kg LPG for Tk 1,800 on Saturday while the price was between Tk 1,450 and Tk 1,500 previously.

‘I need five 12-kg cylinders every month. The prices of gas and sugar continue to rise. If I increase the cost of tea, I may lose customers,’ the tea seller made an apprehension.   

Consumers also complain that sellers do not lower prices once the government makes downward adjustments of prices for essential products.

A retailer Md Mahbub Alam, who supplied LPG gas to households and businesses in Dhanmondi and Hazaribagh areas, said that they were selling a 12-kg LPG gas cylinder of iGas, Omera, DeltaLPG at Tk 1,800 and Bashundhara LP Gas at Tk 1,900.

‘We buy gas at a higher price from agents and distributors who have raised prices through syndication. We have no other options, but to sell at a higher price,’ Mahbub said when asked why they were not going by the government-set price.

He added that the price of Bashundhara LP Gas always remained at Tk 70 to Tk 80 higher than that of other companies.

A private company employee Mazhar Manik in Mymensingh city said that he bought a 12-kg LPG cylinder at Tk 1,750 on Friday after a long bargain.

‘I did not find LPG cylinder on Friday. Many businesses declined to sell in the name of product shortage. I managed it from a known retailer who kept Tk 100 less from me,’ he added.

New Age staff correspondent in Chattogram reported that retailers in the port city also charged more than the government-set price for 12-kg LPG cylinder. They were charging Tk 50 to Tk 100 extra.

CAB senior vice-president and adviser M Shamsul Alam told New Age that charging higher than the price fixed by the government from consumers was a violation of the BERC Act 47, and it was a punishable offence.

‘The companies are robbing people of their money in the name of business. It is happening in the country as the Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission and the Bangladesh Competition Commission are literally dysfunctional,’ he added.

‘If they performed their duties accordingly, and took action, the companies dared not charge extra.’

BERC member (petroleum) Md Kamruzzaman said that they also came to know through the media reports that the businesses were selling gas at a price more than the one fixed by the government.

‘If we receive complaint from consumers, we will go for action. We have also lack of manpower,’ he pointed out.

The BREC adjusted the latest price as per tons of Saudi CP (mixed of propane and butane) increased by $190.25 to $790 from $599.25.

The 12-kg LPG cylinder is one of the 13 categories of LPG cylinders, the prices of which have been adjusted every month since April 2021.

The new LPG price used by automobiles has been fixed at Tk 69.71 per litre, up from Tk 57.41 set in the previous month.

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