brand logo

Empty Litro cylinders offered for over Rs. 25,000

02 May 2022

By Dinitha Rathnayake  An empty, 12.5 kg Litro liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cylinder is currently selling at a price range between Rs. 25,000-35,000 in the black market due to excessive demand, The Morning learnt. Some individuals have posted classified advertisements on buying and selling websites and social media platforms such as Facebook, offering to sell their domestic cylinders at this price range. When The Morning contacted a few numbers listed in the advertisements, it was confirmed that the cylinders were being offered at a price range of between Rs. 25,000-35,000. One person from Wellawatte said he is selling two domestic  12.5 kg gas cylinders for Rs. 25,000 each, while another person in Nugegoda is selling his cylinder at a price of Rs.30,000. “We are selling our domestic gas cylinders. There are no gas cylinders to buy in the market,” one individual said. Speaking to The Morning, one Litro gas distributor said the company advises against purchasing empty 12.5 kg cylinders at present, as the actual price is around Rs. 9,000, and therefore it is obvious that the cylinders are selling for more than twice the actual price. The non-availability of other gas cylinders belonging to other companies such as Laugfs in the market and higher customer demand has made an empty Litro gas cylinder a much sought-after item in the black market. When contacted by The Morning, Consumer Affairs Authority officials said that since there is no control over prices, they are unable to take any action against it. Meanwhile, newly appointed Litro Gas Chairman Vijitha Herath, speaking to the media last week, said that it will take more than a month for the domestic LPG cylinder shortage to end and supplies to return to normal. “The dollar crisis has hit gas supplies hard. The company’s usual capacity is 100,000 cylinders per day, but that has been drastically reduced."  


More News..