BANGKOK, Dec 14 (TNA) – PTT Group will increase its price of natural gas for vehicles (NGV) by one baht per kilogram on Dec 16 except for taxis while the price of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) will be frozen until next month.
The Committee on Energy Policy Administration (CEPA) on Dec 13 resolved to maintain the LPG price at refineries at 19.9833 baht per kilogram (value-added tax excluded) from Jan 1 to 31, 2023. Consequently, the retail LPG price will be at about 408 baht per 15kg cylinder. The policy was aimed at controlling people’s cost of living.
The policy will cost the state’s Oil Fuel Fund 1.35 billion baht a month. The fund was already 43.88 billion baht in the red on its LPG price subsidy. The loss nearly reaches the 45-billion-baht ceiling for the LPG subsidy of the fund. CEPA assigned the Energy Policy and Planning Office to revise its policy for the LPG price in the future.
Meanwhile, PTT Group will raise its NGV price by one baht per kilogram to 17.59 baht on Dec 16 except for taxis while its actual cost is at 29.51 baht per kilogram.
CEPA asked PTT to maintain the new price for general vehicles and the subsidized price for taxis of 13.62 baht per kilogram from Dec 16 to March 15 next year.
Due to the policy, PTT will lose 2.68 billion baht for the subsidy – 2.41 billion baht for NGV consumption by general vehicles and 275 million baht for the gas used by taxis. (TNA)