The price of a 12kg cylinder of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) has seen the highest hike in a month as the energy regulator has raised it by 28.85 per cent, or Tk 387, to Tk 1,728 for April from the previous month's Tk 1,341.
Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) Chairman Jalal Ahmed announced the new price at a press conference on Thursday, which came into effect from 6pm on the same day.
BERC stated that LPG cylinders of various sizes were available in the market.
The price of a 12.5kg cylinder supplied by government companies remained unchanged at Tk 825.
Meanwhile, the price of auto gas, the LPG used in vehicles, was set at Tk 79.77 per litre, up from Tk 61.83 per litre.
The commission has been adjusting LPG prices every month since April 2021.
However, in practice, LPG is not sold at the official rate.
For household use, the 12kg cylinder is the most common, and there are complaints that sellers charge Tk 300-400 more per cylinder. Meanwhile, the commission adjusted cooking fuel prices for the domestic market based on the Saudi Aramco contract price for April.
It also factored in fluctuations of foreign exchange rates and changes in value-added tax (VAT).
The Saudi Aramco CP (contract price) price of propane and butane is $750 per tonne and $800 per tonne, respectively, for April trading.
The BERC calculated the price of a propane and butane mixture at a ratio of 35:65 at $782.50 per tonne.
The private sector can sell LPG in various cylinder sizes -- 5.5kg, 12.5kg, 15kg, 16kg, 18kg, 20kg, 22kg, 25kg, 30kg, 35kg, and 45kg -- to consumers at proportionate prices in April.
The price of LPG supplied through a reticulated system or centralised storage system was also fixed at Tk 311.70 per cubic metre for April.Sources said around 27 LPG operators were currently in business, although licences were issued to about 58 companies.
Some 26 operators import about 1.50 million tonnes of LPG from the international market per month, which accounts for around 98 per cent of the country's total demand, while seven are satellite operators.About 35 million LPG cylinders are in use across the country's LPG businesses.
The sector employs around 200 road tankers, 5,000 trucks, and 21 cargo vessels nationwide.
Azizjst@yahoo.com