July 19, 2008	Saturday	Rajab 15, 1429

LAHORE, July 18: District Coordination Officer Sajjad Ahmed Bhutta has ordered a crackdown on the dealers selling liquefied petroleum gas above the fixed retail price of Rs63 per kg from Saturday (today).

After a meeting with gas companies and distributors here on Friday, the DCO said the gas companies would supply LPG to distributors at the rate of Rs58 per kg and they would sell it at Rs63 per kg to the consumers. The distributors would also display the rates at the retail outlets.

He said shops found overcharging, selling sub-standard cylinders and engaged in decanting would be sealed. The town municipal officers and town officers (regulation) would be proceeded against in case of blackmarketing of LPG within the jurisdiction of their towns.

He said monitoring officers had been posted at all the LPG factories who would submit daily reports about the sale of gas. He said that LPG companies would have to supply the gas in accordance with their commitment and would not be allowed to take it out of the city. He said that no body would be allowed to fix the LPG rates unilaterally.

LPGAP: The LPG Association of Pakistan, a grouping of licensed LPG marketing companies, took exception to the DCO’s statement.

“Stakeholders of the LPG industry are aware of their responsibility to the end-consumer, and the irresponsible saber-rattling by the DCO is regrettable and will prove counterproductive,” said LPGAP spokesman Fasih Ahmed.

“The DCO is not empowered to ‘fix’ LPG prices anywhere in the supply chain.”