KUALA LUMPUR: The Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Ministry (KPDNKK) announced yesterday that the price of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) remains at RM26.60 per 14 kg cylinder.
Its secretary-general Datuk Seri Alias Ahmad said the decision to mantain the price was taken by the National Economic Council, which met on Monday.
“So at the moment, the price of LPG remains at RM26.60 (for 14 kg cylinder)and it does not include transportation costs from the retailer to the customer’s house,” he told reporters after attended the 2014 Companies Commission of Malaysia (SSM) Excellence Service Award and the signing of the Corporate Integrity Pledge ceremony here yesterday.
The events were officiated by Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Minister, Datuk Seri Hasan Malek.
Alias said this in commenting on whether the government will set a new price for the LPG after the ministry presented a proposal on the matter to the National Economic Council meeting. The ministry had presented the proposal on a new LPG price after receiving complaints by LPG industry stakeholders who said they had to bear the increasing production cost.
Alias said LPG gas price had never been reviewed since 1999 or 16 years ago which caused the LPG industry to in a critical condition now with supply slightly decreasing.
He said several gas producers told the ministry they had to reduce LPG production, in fact, some of them had stopped supplying it in several states because of the issue (price).
“Therefore, the ministry took several initiatives to engage LPG stakeholders last January and presented the issue at the meeting yesterday (Monday).
“The National Economic Council meeting has decided that an immediate measures need to be done in stabilising the supply of LPG in the market, the government would assist to bear on the several costs in the LPG production structure as soon as possible,” he said.
Alias said the government will also decide on business models in the LPG industries with in its effort to float the gas market price.
Meanwhile, Hasan told a press conference afterwards that SSM will reintroduce the ompany Closure Incentives for all dormant incorporated companies or companies not active between 2010 until 2014.
The incentives will be effective from April 1 to Sept 30 this year, with the aim to help companies which are not active or dormant to close their companies easily, quickly and at a low cost.
“This initiative will also encourage companies from being misused for illegal purposes such as money laundering and fraudulent activities,” he said.
He said a similar initiative was introduced back in 2012 and since then, until now, SSM received a total of 13,879 applications for closing companies. — Bernama