Marketers have given hints that cooking gas prices may increase next week.
Gas consumers should prepare for price increases starting the following week, according to Olatunbosun Oladapo, president of the Nigerian Association of Liquefied Petroleum Gas Marketers.
Oladipo listed several factors for the planned pricing review, including rising global prices, high tax rates, and shipping costs, a lack of foreign currency, and depreciating naira.
He said, “It is starting next week because international prices have gone up. The prices of vessels have gone up and taxes are high, but consumers are not earning more.
“Their purchasing power has gone down. Everybody is crying. Consumers, middlemen, and retailers are feeling the impact because business is now on the low side.”
Oladapo described the imminent price increment as unfortunate.
He said, “The situation is very unfortunate because prices are going higher. Nigerian consumers are passing through very difficult times because they can no longer afford gas.”
Oladapo lamented that consumers are now returning to firewood, charcoal, and sawdust for cooking.
He, therefore, urged the government to come to the aid of citizens, saying, “The government should come in and alleviate the suffering of the masses by providing palliatives, reducing taxes and levies.
“You can imagine that for every 1kg of gas priced at N700, tax would take way N3.50. How much is left in such a business?”
Oladapo urged the government to tax profit and not products because consumers were not buying gas anymore.
“Local taxes are worsening the problem,” he said, calling on marketers who had the opportunity to buy products locally to fix prices with “consumers’ sympathy” in mind.
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