Trade Minister accuses Shell Gas Lanka of deception

CHAMIKARA WEERASINGHE

Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Bandula Gunawardena yesterday charged Shell Gas Lanka of deceiving the public claiming that it was prevented from reducing Shell Gas prices by a new Government tax.

Gunawardena said “The Shell Gas Company has issued press communiques claiming that it could reduce the price of domestic LP gas cylinders by Rs. 366 alluding that the Government was responsible for the company’s inability to do so.”

He was speaking at a press conference held at Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry.

”Shell Gas Lanka is attempting hide the truth about themselves for they know how many times a year and how much a price increase they have requested from us all these years,” he said.

”The company has orchestrated this with a public friendly approach to serve a different purpose for the company had requested that a 12.5 kg LP gas cylinder be increased to Rs. 2,053 in July last year.

The Consumer Affairs Authority did not allow this,” he said. The Minister said on price revisions that Shell Gas Company requested a price hike of Rs. 221 on LPG Gas cylinders in September, 2007, but the Consumer Affairs Authority allowed an increase of Rs. 213 only.

In November they asked for an increase of Rs. 19 but permission was granted for an increase of Rs.15.

An increase of Rs. 175 was requested in January 2008, which we allowed. In March they requested another increase on 12.5 LPG cylinder by Rs.389 against which we allowed an increase of Rs. 261. In May they requested to increase the price by Rs.204 upon which we asked them to reduce the price by Rs. 20, he said.

”In July they came with a request to increase the price by Rs. 324, we allowed an increase of Rs. 8. In September they wanted to increase the price by Rs. 245. The Authority allowed an increase of Rs. 126, he said.

In November when they came with a request to further up the price by Rs. 60, we asked them to reduce it by Rs. 78.

They wanted an increase of Rs.141 in January, against which we asked them to reduce the price by Rs. 166. Speaking on the Government’s relief package, Gunawardena said with the historic liberation of Kilinochchi being achieved within weeks after the introduction of the relief package, the situation must have knocked off some political parties and some local and foreign NGOs for it appears some of them have made statements to undermine both the relief package given to the public and the Kilinochchi victory achieved by our heroic Security Forces.

”These parties do this out of fury or frustration in trying to achieve petty political mileage,” he said.