Public hearing to determine LPG price on Thursday

The Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) will hold a public hearing on Thursday (October 29) to review proposals to revise retail prices of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), raising concerns that consumers could face another price hike.

Importers, distributors and retailers have sought higher commissions, citing increased transportation, storage and marketing costs, following the latest price increase earlier this month.

The hearing will examine proposals to revise consumer-level LPG prices in both the public and private sectors, with a detailed review of costs and profit margins at every stage, from bottling and storage to distribution and retail sales.

On October 4, BERC raised the price of a 12kg LPG cylinder by Tk 252 to Tk 1,837. Prices of cylinders weighing between 5.5kg and 45kg were also increased proportionately, fixing the price at Tk 153.06 per kg.

The price of autogas was raised from Tk 73.09 to Tk 84.62 per litre.

Under the October 4 pricing order, a 5.5kg cylinder was priced at Tk 842, while a 12.5kg cylinder cost Tk 1,913. The prices of other cylinder sizes were set as   15kg cost Tk 2,296, 16kg Tk 2,449, 18kg Tk 2,755, 20kg Tk 3,061, 22kg Tk 3,367, 25kg Tk 3,827, 30kg Tk 4,592, 33kg Tk 5,051, 35kg Tk 5,357 and 45kg Tk 6,888.

The upcoming hearing will determine whether the additional costs and commission increases sought by industry stakeholders warrant a revision of the existing prices. 

Any further increase could add to the financial pressure on households and businesses already grappling with higher LPG costs.