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The Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) on Tuesday raised the price of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) for January, with the new rate for a 12-kg LPG cylinder now set at Tk 1,459 under the new value-added tax (VAT) and tax measures.
This marks a Tk 4 rise from the previous price of Tk 1,455, which had been in place since November 2024. The new prices are effective immediately.
Prior to this change, the price of a 12-kg LPG cylinder had remained steady at Tk 1,455. In comparison, the price for October 2024 was Tk 1,456, and Tk 1,421 in September 2024.
Along with the price of the 12-kg cylinder, BERC has revised the cost for various other cylinder sizes, ranging from 5.5 kg to 45 kg, based on proportional pricing.
Additionally, the cost of LPG supplied through a reticulated or centralised system has risen slightly to Tk 261.80 per cubic metre from Tk 260.80. The retail price of autogas, used in vehicles, has also been increased to Tk 67.27 per litre from the previous Tk 66.78.
Despite the price hikes, the state-run LP Gas's LPG price remains unchanged at Tk 690 per 12.5-kg cylinder.
Since April 2021, BERC has been revising LPG prices for private operators during the first week of each month.
According to sources, there are currently around 27 active LPG operators in the country, although licences have been issued to approximately 58 companies.
Some 26 operators import about 1.10 million tonnes of LPG from the international market annually, which accounts for around 98 per cent of the country's total LPG demand. Seven of them function as satellite operators.
About 35 million LPG cylinders are in use across the country's LPG businesses.
The sector employs around 200 road tankers, 5,000 trucks and 21 cargo vessels nationwide.
azizjst@yahoo.com