One of the biggest Gas price increases in recent years came into effect from midnight yesterday (May 6) with Laughs being permitted an increase of Rs. 323 per 12.5 Kg cylinder and Shell Rs. 219.

With these latest price increases approved by the Ministry of Cooperatives and Internal Trade, the price of a Shell will now be Rs. 1,769 and Laughs Rs. 1,744. The earlier price of Shell gas was Rs. 1,550 and that of Laughs Rs. 1,421.

Announcing the price increases last evening at the Ministry of Cooperatives and Internal Trade, Minister Johnston Fernando said the UPFA government had given the customer relief from March in view of the Sinhala and Tamil New Year by waiving all taxes imposed on gas.

Commenting on the bigger increase in price granted to Laugfs, Minister Fernando admitted that 75 per cent of the gas to Laugfs was supplied by the Petroleum Corporation, but the maintenance cost of their machinery had increased and they were incurring big losses.

When the question of milk power price increases was raised by The Island, Minister Fernando said that a request had been made by the milk powder importers for an increase in prices, but he was unable to answer the question on the amount "just yet".

Minister Fernando revealed that the Ministry of Cooperatives and Internal Trade was in the process of being reorganised and by Wednesday (May 12) a separate office would be set up at the Ministry itself under his supervision for consumers to make complaints direct on "unreasonable" prices of consumer goods besides the Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA).