Doha - A cylinder of cooking gas is to cost QR15 instead of QR10 from today, Qatar News Agency (QNA) said yesterday.
"Qatar Fuel Company (Woqod) in collaboration with Qatar Petroleum (QP) has decided to raise the price of butane gas for domestic and commercial (for restaurants and industries) use from Tuesday," QNA said quoting a company release.
When bottled as a fuel for cooking or camping, the butane gas is commercially referred to as liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). The gas we get in cylinders of 12 kg for domestic use is LPG. A bigger version of 48-kg cylinder is available for use in restaurants, while the LPG supplied to factories is measured in metric tonnes.
The 48-kg cylinders which now costs QR35, will be available from today for QR55, QNA added. An empty 12-kg cylinder will cost QR147 instead of QR130, while an empty 48-kg cylinder will be priced at QR397 instead of QR300.
"The price rise falls in step with regional and international economic developments," QNA added, referring to higher oil prices in the global markets.
The sale price of butane gas (for industrial use) will be QR1,050 per tonne if the quantity is less than six tonnes, while the rate will be QR1,000 (per tonne) if the quantity is between six and 15 tonnes. For quantities above 15 tonnes, the rate will be QR950, said QNA.
When contacted by The Peninsula, a gas cylinder retailer in the Old Airport area said he was not aware of the price hike. "We are hearing it from you," he said.
He said depending on demand, his shop gets between 100 and 400 gas cylinders (of 12 kg each) a day and normally, they are exhausted at the end of the day. "If we have sold 100 cylinders today, for instance, we would get 200 the next morning," he explained.
He said that as far as he can remember, the 12-kg cylinder was being sold for QR10 for around 18 years. There was a minimal rise in the price of 48-kg recently, though, he added.
Some restaurants said that 48-kg cylinders were available for around QR30 and had become costlier by two to three riyals recently.
A consumer said that compared to some neighbouring countries, the 12-kg cylinder was still cheaper at QR15 in Qatar.
© The Peninsula 2006
