Discussions are under way on supplying Litro gas to Laugfs cylinders if Laugfs Gas Company stops its supplies, Deputy Minister of Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Cooperative Development R. M. Jayawardena said on Sunday.
The aim is to spare consumers inconvenience, the Deputy Minister told the media. He said a special meeting would be held under Trade Minister Wasantha Samarasinghe, with all relevant parties taking part, to discuss the matter.
The talks follow a recent shortage of Litro cylinders. A three-day delay in the arrival of a gas shipment from the Maldives left a shortfall of around 240,000 Litro cylinders. The situation was brought under control once a vessel carrying 3,600 metric tons of gas arrived. Litro then raised its daily distribution to 100,000 cylinders.
Litro Chairman Channa Gunawardena said the company had increased its daily gas distribution from 1,100 to 1,600 metric tons because of the shortage faced by Laugfs consumers.
He clarified, however, that the higher supply did not mean Litro gas would be filled directly into Laugfs’ yellow cylinders. Instead, Litro is supplying gas through bowsers to hotels and factories that previously obtained their supplies from Laugfs, he said.
Background
Litro Gas and Laugfs Gas are the two main suppliers of liquefied petroleum (LP) gas to Sri Lankan households and businesses. Litro is state-owned, while Laugfs is a private company. Most households buy gas in cylinders, and each company distributes in its own cylinders through its own network of dealers and outlets.
Because the two networks serve separate sets of customers, a disruption at one supplier can quickly add pressure to the other. Gas is imported by sea, so a delay in a single shipment, such as the one from the Maldives, can leave dealers short within days.
The Deputy Minister did not say in his remarks why Laugfs might discontinue its supplies, and the officials quoted did not give a date by which a decision on the proposal would be made.
What it means
For households that use Laugfs cylinders, the immediate question is whether they will be able to refill them if supplies tighten. No arrangement has been announced, and Litro’s chairman has said that Litro gas will not simply be poured into Laugfs’ cylinders.
Hotels and factories that bought gas from Laugfs are already being served by Litro through bowsers, according to the chairman. Consumers are likely to learn more about the options once the special meeting under the Trade Minister takes place.
