The prices of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) have been increased by an average of 14.11 per cent for August selling by the private operators.
The private traders now will retail a 12kg cylinder at Tk 1,140, up by Tk 141 from July's retail price of Tk 999.
The price of 1.0-kg LPG has been fixed at Tk 94.96 under the new pricing mechanism.
Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) Chairman Md Nurul Amin announced the new prices of the cooking fuel at a press briefing at the commission's office in the capital on Wednesday.
The August prices of LPG that came into effect from 6:00 pm on the day were adjusted for the domestic market based on the Saudi Aramco contract price (CP) for August 2023 as the benchmark.
The BERC also considered fluctuations in foreign-exchange rates and changes in the value-added tax (VAT).
It has been fixing the LPG prices for private operators within the first week of every month since April 2021.
The private sector will be able to sell LPG through different sizes of cylinders like 5.5 kg, 12.5kg, 15kg, 16kg, 18kg, 20kg, 22kg, 25kg, 30kg, 35kg and 45kg to consumers at proportionately higher prices in August, according to the BERC announcement.
The retail price of autogas, the LPG being used in vehicles, was also raised to Tk 52.17 per litre including VAT from the previous Tk 46.59 per litre.
The price of state-owned LP Gas's LPG, however, kept unchanged at Tk 591 per 12.5 kg cylinder.
Sources said, currently some 27 LPG operators are doing business although some 58 received licenses to carry out the business.
Some 20 operators import around 1.10 million tonnes of LPG from the international market, which is around 98 per cent of the country's total requirement for LPG, while seven are satellite operators.
There are some 20 LPG terminals across the country and the reserve capacity is around 100,000 tonnes in total.Some 35 million LPG cylinders are being used in the LPG businesses in the country.
Around 200 road tankers, 5,000 trucks and 21 cargoes are involved in the LPG businesses across the country.
Azizjst@yahoo.com
