Consumer rights agency for LPG price monitoring
REZAUL KARIM | Saturday, 8 October 2022
A consumer rights agency has recommended monitoring liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) prices with a view to stopping the practice of making excessive profits from its sales.
The Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection (DNCRP) has also suggested strengthening monitoring by Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI) to stop cross-filling or the practice of illegally filling a gas cylinder that is owned by another party.
The suggestions have been made in a report prepared based on the findings of the directorate-led monitoring drive on LPG market - operated in August and September last.
The directorate finds that LPG was being sold at the retail level way more than the prices set by the Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC), said the report, submitted to the commerce ministry.
Contacted, consumer rights protection directorate Director General (Additional Secretary) AHM Shafiquzzaman said, "The directorate teams found some inconsistencies in LPG selling prices. It sat with the stakeholders regarding the issue."
The state agency will operate the monitoring drive if the customers' interest is hampered, he added.
The state agency in the monitoring drive also found that expired gas cylinders were frequently sold in the market. Currently, the market of LPG is stable, as per the sector insiders and the directorate.
Huge adverse reactions were observed at the consumer level due to the fact that the gas was being sold at prices way more than the fixed prices, mentioned in the monitoring report.
Therefore, the directorate suggested taking steps to display the list of LPG prices at the wholesale, retail and dealers level.
The wholesalers said that they had been buying LPG from the dealers at high prices.
They said they were selling LPG with a minimum profit, according to the findings of the consumer rights protection directorate.
On the other hand, dealers said they had to pay additional Tk 25 while purchasing each LPG cylinder from the supplier companies; so, they had to sell the cylinders after adjusting the additional cost.