• Litro November prices unchanged

Litro Gas Lanka is discussing with LAUGFS Gas PLC the possibility of supplying Litro gas cylinders to LAUGFS customers amid continuing difficulties in obtaining supplies, as the company assures its own customers of uninterrupted availability, it is learnt.

Litro Gas Lanka Chairman Channa Gunawardana told The Daily Morning that discussions were underway to identify a solution to ensure an adequate supply of gas, including for LAUGFS customers.

“The Minister of Trade, Commerce and Food Security, Wasantha Samarasinghe, considering the issue faced by LAUGFS gas users who are not receiving supplies, has decided that Litro should explore the possibility of providing gas to LAUGFS customers as well. We are still looking at various options and discussing with LAUGFS whether there is any possibility of doing so,” he said.

Gunawardana also assured Litro customers that the company had imported sufficient cylinders to meet local demand and would release them to the market soon. “Earlier, Litro users also experienced a shortage, but we have now imported enough cylinders. We will be releasing them to the market soon,” he said.

Meanwhile, although global gas prices continue to rise, Litro has decided not to increase its domestic prices for November. The price of a 12.5 kg cylinder will remain at Rs 4,365, a 5 kg cylinder at Rs 1,750 and a 2.3 kg cylinder at Rs 815.

Trade, Commerce and Food Security Minister Wasantha Samarasinghe had previously said that legal action had been initiated against LAUGFS Gas PLC over allegations that the company had misled consumers and caused public inconvenience by failing to maintain adequate supplies.

For nearly three months, LAUGFS customers have struggled to obtain gas cylinders, causing frustration among households and putting pressure on distributors and dealeRs The prolonged shortage has reportedly led some customers to sell their LAUGFS cylinders at significantly reduced prices.

When contacted by The Daily Morning, LAUGFS Chairman W K H Wegapitiya said tahe recent supply disruptions have arisen primarily due to extraordinary challenges in international LPG procurement, shipping and supply chains, particularly the disruptions affecting the Middle Eastern region. "These are circumstances largely beyond our control, and it would not be accurate to attribute the shortages simply to a failure or reluctance on our part to place orders."

He further said they had been continuously engaging with the relevant government authorities to explain these challenges and explore practical solutions to restore and maintain a reliable supply of LPG to the domestic market.