Reports from Karachi indicate that local marketing companies have once again raised the prices of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) without obtaining necessary approval from the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA).
This marks the third arbitrary increase in LPG prices during Ramadan, with a staggering rise of Rs30 per kilogram. Despite the government’s set price of Rs257 for LPG, it is being sold at Rs300 in the market. Furthermore, domestic cylinders, previously priced at Rs 3,030, are now being sold at an alarming Rs 4,200.
The Chairman of the LPG Association, Irfan Khokhar, strongly denounced this unauthorized price hike, emphasizing that any increase without proper notification is unjustifiable. The association has called for strict action against those involved in black market activities.
Earlier this week, OGRA declared the association’s price hike unlawful, urging provincial governments to ensure that LPG is available to consumers at government-set prices. According to an OGRA spokesperson, there is an adequate storage of LPG molecules in the country, and increasing prices is deemed illegal.
The spokesperson attributed the price surge to illegal hoarding of LPG, creating an artificial shortage. OGRA has informed provincial chief secretaries about this artificial shortage and urged them to ensure gas provision to consumers at regulated prices.
