Demand for kerosene goes up following gas crisis
Wednesday, 3 February 2010
FE Report
The demand for kerosene has increased at least 30 per cent in recent weeks following mounting gas crisis in the city and peripheral areas, officials at the Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) said Tuesday.
The ongoing gas crisis forced many city dwellers to rely on kerosene-based stoves for cooking.
"We've observed that the demand for kerosene has increased nearly 30 per cent in recent weeks," Syed Mozammel Hoque, director of the BPC told the FE Tuesday.
BPC officials said that current consumption of the fuel is around 1100 tonnes a day against around 800 tonnes a day earlier.
However, a section of dishonest traders have been taking advantage of the rise in the demand for the fuel by increasing its retail prices.
Kerosene is now being sold between Tk 50-Tk 52 a litre in the city against Tk 46-Tk 48 a litre previously.
Md Shajahan, a small trader at the city's Gopibagh area told the FE: "We are charging more for kerosene due to its high price at the supply sources."
The prices of the fuel has been fixed at Tk 44 per litre equivalent to the diesel by the BPC.
BPC officials said: "If the trend for high demand continues for a further period, then the state-owned entity might think of importing additional quantity of the fuel to meet the domestic requirement."
Bangladesh's annual demand for the kerosene is around 480,000 tonnes. The state-owned BPC procures it from different overseas sources and its own refinery - Eastern Refinery - in Chittagong.
The demand for kerosene has increased at least 30 per cent in recent weeks following mounting gas crisis in the city and peripheral areas, officials at the Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) said Tuesday.
The ongoing gas crisis forced many city dwellers to rely on kerosene-based stoves for cooking.
"We've observed that the demand for kerosene has increased nearly 30 per cent in recent weeks," Syed Mozammel Hoque, director of the BPC told the FE Tuesday.
BPC officials said that current consumption of the fuel is around 1100 tonnes a day against around 800 tonnes a day earlier.
However, a section of dishonest traders have been taking advantage of the rise in the demand for the fuel by increasing its retail prices.
Kerosene is now being sold between Tk 50-Tk 52 a litre in the city against Tk 46-Tk 48 a litre previously.
Md Shajahan, a small trader at the city's Gopibagh area told the FE: "We are charging more for kerosene due to its high price at the supply sources."
The prices of the fuel has been fixed at Tk 44 per litre equivalent to the diesel by the BPC.
BPC officials said: "If the trend for high demand continues for a further period, then the state-owned entity might think of importing additional quantity of the fuel to meet the domestic requirement."
Bangladesh's annual demand for the kerosene is around 480,000 tonnes. The state-owned BPC procures it from different overseas sources and its own refinery - Eastern Refinery - in Chittagong.