LAHORE, Dec 23: The LPG Distributors Association has criticised the Economic Coordination Committee’s decision to fix liquefied petroleum gas price and threatened a countrywide suspension of sales from January 3.

Association Chairman Irfan Khokhar said that the ECC had given in to the pressure of multinational companies and approved their formula for fixing the prices of locally produced LPG in accordance with international rates. The retail price of gas would increase from Rs45 per kg to Rs70 as a result, he said.

He added that there was no justification to sell the LPG on international rate as it was an indigenous natural resource and was used by the common man as a substitute for wood. He said Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz had taken note of increase in its price from Rs45 to Rs70 per kg a few months ago and directed the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority to take steps to help reduce the prices. OGRA steps including the permission for duty-free import resulted in bringing down the LPG prices to Rs45 per kg from Rs70.