‘New Year gift’: Govt cuts LPG price by nearly Rs6 per kg

The federal government on Friday slashed the price of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) by Rs5.90 per kg for the next month.

According to a notification issued by the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra), the LPG will now be available at Rs196.67 per kg from January 1, 2022,Express News reported.

Following the decrease, the price of a domestic cylinder of 11.8kg has been reduced by Rs105 and will be sold at Rs2.320.

Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry said after launching a health insurance scheme for Punjab, the government has also reduced the price of LPG as a New Year’s gift for the people.

“The [reduction] will directly benefit 72% of the country's population who are deprived of piped gas. The coming year will see a sharp decline in energy and food prices,” he added.

With the onset of winter, the shortage of piped gas supply from the Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) network has forced the citizens to start using LPG.

Residents of areas affected by gas load-shedding say that the use of LPG has led to a 10-fold increase in gas prices. Gas load-shedding is making it more difficult to cope with inflation.

One of the most popular options for gas shortage is LPG. People either convert their stoves or buy an extra burner for use during winters.

The use of LPG increases in winters for heating and cooking purposes due to a shortage of piped gas supply.

However, a number of incidents have been reported when LPG cylinders blew up due to gas leakage.