Money
‘Arbitrary’ cylinder pricing
Gas bottlers have been found to have charging “arbitrary prices” to first-time buyers of LPG cylinders.Gas bottlers have been found to have charging “arbitrary prices” to first-time buyers of LPG cylinders.
Dealers said brands such as STC, Chandeswori and Shreeram have increased their deposit rates. Rajesh Dahal, general-secretary of Gas Dealers’ Federation Nepal, said these companies raised the amount to up to Rs2,400 per cylinder from Rs2,100. “This has increased the cylinder purchase cost for the general consumers,” he said.
According to the bottlers, there is no official deposit rate. “Gas companies can fix the amount themselves,” said Shiva Ghimire, president of Nepal LP Gas Industry Association. Consumer right activists expressed discontent over the trend. Madhav Prasad Timilsina, president of Consumers’ Right Investigation Forum, said most of the gas companies do not refund the deposit amount even after consumers discontinue to use their cylinders. “A mechanism should be developed to reimburse the deposit amount to the consumers if they want to switch brands.” (PR)