Rwanda Utilities Regulatory Authority (RURA) has said that a team of inspectors has been dispatched to the field after different people failed to comply with new official prices of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). This was revealed on Wednesday, January 5 by Ernest Nsabimana, the Director-General RURA in an interview with The New Times. “We came up with the new prices after thorough assessment and consultations, however, some people failed to comply with it but we thank the consumers for reporting this issue whenever they are given cooking gas at the price higher than what RURA has recommended,” he said. The development follows the hiking prices of cooking gas by some retailers even after the government through RURA has introduced new prices. The new prices were set at Rwf1, 260 per kilogramme from over Rwf1, 500 in some neighbourhoods. However, a quick stop check done by The New Times to different city suburbs indicates that gas refill prices are still high for some retailers where for instance a 12-kilogramme can cost between Rwf16,000 and 16,600 instead of the recommended 15,120. Francine Irakoze, a retailer in Gasabo district admitted that she is still selling Gas at the previous price saying that they still get it expensively from the wholesalers. “Am aware of the new prices set by the government but it is hard for me to comply while I still get the gas at high prices from wholesalers claiming that they had a lot of gas in store which they bought at the old price and want to clear that stock,” she said However, it is not the case for Rodrigue Niwemugabo, a retailer in Nyarugenge district who said that the wholesaler has been complying with the new prices and they have also started selling it at the official prices. “I think it’s is a choice (by some retailers) to increase the prices because the announcement was clear and from then the wholesalers reduced the prices and we are selling according to RURA’s prices and so far there is no loss,” he said Divine Usanase, a resident at Kicukiro district, told The New Times that despite the announcement of new prices set by the government in December, the price has remained unchanged. “Before I thought it was an issue in our neighbourhood but I’ve seen other people complaining on social media and some of my friends. We don’t know who to blame but all we ask for is a follow up on the government side to save us the final consumers,” she said. Nsabimana said that RURA is aware of such errant retailers and they are doing all possible to solve the issue and together with the Ministry of Trade will fine all responsible people behind the rise of gas. However, he stressed that the big issue is on the Retailers’ side who have some personal interests they don’t want to lose. “All other involved players are fine with this decision because the government promised them to intervene in other ways to avoid losses but some retailers refused to comply,” he said. Adding that they are reviewing all issues raised by the retailers such as transport among others as well as distribution chains to be able to get a long term solution.
