The crisis of butane gas cylinders shortage escalated yesterday. In Gharbia, people staged a number of protests before warehouses due to the lack of cylinders. The protestors clashed with warehouse owners, especially after prices jumped to LE15 a cylinder. People condemned Gharbia Governor Abdel Hamid el-Shenawi's decision on increasing prices from LE2.8 to LE4 a cylinder in warehouses, and LE5 if delivered to houses, adding that such a rise only serves the warehouse owners. For his part, Shenawi admitted that the crisis has been escalated because the warehouse owners are greedy.
In Matrouh, the prices of butane gas reached LE15 a cylinder. Head of Marsa Matrouh Council of Supply Mohamed Saber called for trying who sells cylinders on the black market because they are the cause of the crisis.
In Alexandria, an officer managed to arrest a gang attacking cars distributing butane gas cylinders. 123 cylinders have been seized on their way to be sold on the black market. In addition, four plants were discovered using subsidized butane gas in producing bricks in contravention of licenses, thus aggravating the crisis in Alexandria. Qalioubia Local Council has discussed six complaints on high prices of butane gas cylinders. The discussions have revealed that Petro Gas Company has aggravated the crisis because it has not supplied the governorate with its complete quota, a decrease of 350,000 cylinders. There is no control over warehouses, and workshops and poultry farms consume a large part of the quota, the local council said.
For his part, an official with Petro Gas has said there is no deficit in the governorate's quota, which increased early this year to 120% by pumping large quantities amounting to 729,000 home cylinders and 192,000 corporate ones. The official promised to increase the quota to two million during the coming few months
