• Prices of other capacity gas cylinders will also increase
• A gas cylinder costs Rs. 4,650 when it was unloaded at the port 

By Ajith Siriwardana and Chaturanga Samarawickrama  

Litro Gas Lanka Limited increased the price of a 12.5 kg domestic gas cylinder to Rs. 4,860 from Rs. 2,675 with immediate effect, senior official of the Litro Lanka said.  

Accordingly, the price was increased by Rs. 2185. Prices of other volumes of gas cylinders will go up proportionately.  

Earlier in the day, Litro Chairman Vijitha Herath told a news conference at the Presidential Media Centre that the Litro Company was incurring a loss of Rs. 250 million daily and that the price of a gas cylinder should be increased to Rs. 5,175. 

He said that they could not supply gas to the market if prices were not increased, as a gas cylinder costs Rs. 4,650 when it was unloaded at the port.   

He said they were only releasing industrial gas cylinders at the moment and that domestic gas cylinders of 12.5 kg, 5kg and 2.5 kg were not released to the market at present.   
“If the prices are not increased, we cannot find money to import gas. Banks are not lending us money any more as we already owe billions to the banks. If the government decides not to increase prices, then, it has to provide us with the required funds. It means the people have to bear the cost anyway,” he said.   
He said gas prices should be decided according to a pricing formula. 

• Gas prices should be decided according to a pricing formula