LPGMA says next LPG price hikes will be unannounced, blames DOE gag order

MANILA, Philippines - Upcoming increases in the price of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) will have to come to consumers as a surprise, the LPG Marketers Association (LPGMA) said on Thursday. In a radio interview, LPG Marketers Association head Arnel Ty said this is in compliance with the Department of Energy (DOE) Sec. Angelo Reyes' directive for LPG dealers not to announce any price increases prior to their actual implementation "Mauuna na siguro ang implementation bago ang announcement. Mag-i-inform kami sa Department of Energy one day in advance before implementation. The day of the implementation, we're going to announce it. Hindi namin pwedeng anunsyo ang di pa namin nai-implement (We may have to implement the price hike before making the announcement. We will inform the Energy Department a day in advance but our public announcement will have to come after the price hike goes into effect. We cannot announce something we have not yet implemented)," Ty said in an interview on dzXL radio. But a separate report aired over radio dzRH quoted Reyes as "clarifying" that fuel and LPG firms can announce their "decisions" to hike prices, noting that "price speculation" is the only thing prohibited by the order. In the radio interivew, Ty said the "restriction" will prevent consumers from preparing for an impending price hike, saying consumers prepare their budget by as much as one month in advance. "Hindi makahanda ang tao... Kagawian ng LPG sa hanay namin, mag-aanunsyo kami one week in advance tungkol sa ano ang pagtaya sa susunod na buwan (Consumers may not have enough time to prepare. It had been our custom to announce prices one week in advance, including estimates on how much LPG will cost in the next month)," Ty said. "Kung kami mas maaga maganunsyo mas madali makahanda ang consumer makabili ng murang produkto bago tamaan ng mas malakas na presyo (If we can make an earlier announcement, it will help prepare the consumer to get ready by buying certain products before their prices go up)," he added. - GMANews.TV