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By Channa Kasturisinghe

The new entrant into the local gas market Mundo Gas is determined to supply gas for domestic use well below existing gas market prices.

The Company is planning to introduce a domestic gas cylinder at Rs.325 to 340 to the market within the next three to four weeks and consumers will not have to invest on new gas cylinders.

The Managing Director, Mundo Gas A. Wickramanayake told the media in Colombo yesterday that the Company would have no problem in marketing gas at such a lower price and this step was taken to support the efforts of the Government in bringing down the cost-of-living.

"There is no reason why customers have to pay over five hundred rupees per domestic gas cylinder which has been bought at Rs.150 from the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation. We are coming to the market to put an end to that unreasonable practice and customers will be able to buy gas at a considerably lower price without even investing on a new cylinder," Mr. Wickramanayake said.

However, he did not reveal whether the Company would offer cylinders to consumers free or would enable them to use cylinders of the other two marketers namely Shell Gas Ltd. and Laugfs Lanka Gas Ltd (LLGL).

When the Daily News inquired about the possibility of using Laugfs gas cylinders by another marketer LLGL Chairman W.K.H Wegapitiya said that under the existing regulations it would not be possible.

"There are certain safety requirements in marketing gas and we should make sure that the product we supply to the consumer is safe enough. If some other Company is going to fill our cylinders with their gas there would be nobody to take responsibility," Mr. Wegapitiya said.

A senior official of the Shell Company said that this was not possible under the present regulations.

However, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Ravi Karunanayake said that if any company would provide gas to consumers at lower prices the Government would encourage it.

"The Government has not given any concession to Mundo to sell gas at a lower price. However, our effort is to bring down the cost-of- living by bringing down the prices of essential items. There is no reason why people should buy gas at high prices when there are other competitors who can offer it at cheaper rates," he said.

The Minister said that the Government would not allow monopoly in the gas market and would take any measure to bring down prices of essential items.

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