LAHORE, Jan 4: The LPG Distributors Association has condemned abrupt increase in the product’s price as a result of the Economic Coordination Committee’s decision of linking its price with that of the international market. It has decided to lodge a countrywide protest against it.

Association chairman Irfan Khokhar said in a statement issued here on Thursday the LPG price would increase by Rs5 a kilogram — from Rs52 to Rs57 from Friday (today) and would be revised upwards every month as a result of linking it with the international prices. The marketing companies had raised the price by Rs5 a kilogram last week.

He said the domestic consumers were being hit by abrupt increase in the LPG price. The price of 11.8 kg (domestic-use) cylinder had already increased by Rs31 since Nov 18, that is, from Rs419 to Rs450. The LPG distributors from all over the country would meet in the provincial metropolis on Jan 12 and finalise the plan for lodging a countrywide protest campaign against the policy of linking the LPG prices with the international rates. The rickshaw drivers would also join the protest campaign.

The Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry also urged the government to review the decision to increase the LPG prices as it would not only hit the common man, but also discourage investment. LCCI president Shahid Hassan Sheikh and SVP Yaqub Tahir Izhar said the decision to enhance the LPG price was anti-people. Increase in the price would discourage its consumption and force the people to revert to the use of coal and wood.

Saying there was no justification for increase in the LPG price as it was an indigenous product, they argued that such a step would also affect exports owing to significant increase in the cost of production. It would make the products uncompetitive in the international market, they feared.