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Consumer Protection State Minister says report on incidents will be presented in House tomorrow
The Government yesterday sought to dispel fears among consumers of gas and said preventive measures have been taken to ensure the safety of gas cylinders.
Responding to a question raised in Parliament by Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa, State Minister of Cooperative Services, Marketing Development and Consumer Protection Lasantha Alagiyawanna said that recent incidents of explosions and fires that that have been linked to faulty gas cylinders, are being studied and he would present a comprehensive report to the House on Monday.
“We admit there is a problem, but I must assure consumers that all measures have been taken to ensure that safety features in cylinders are in place,” he said.
The Opposition Leader said there have been at least seven recent instances where there have been explosions and fires in homes and eateries linked to faulty gas cylinders. “ There is a growing fear among consumers who have many questions which the government has failed to answer so far. We need a comprehensive report from the Government backed by technical and scientific data to reassure consumers,’ he said.
The State Minister acknowledged that until recently there has been no study done on the safety of using gas . “Each year accidents linked to gas cylinders take place. Between 2015-2021 there were 23 incidents which were recorded by Laugfs Gas each of which were investigated . It was found that causes for the accidents included use of low-quality equipment, using kerosene or fire near cylinders, keeping the cylinder inside pantry cupboards or in places with low ventilation or human error.
Mr. Alagiyawanna said there were serious questions of consumer protection in the country, and these were being addressed by the newly formed Ministry under him.
“Today goods are imported into the country under 7800 HS Codes but only 1200 get checked for quality. We are working with the Customs Department to ensure that all goods are checked,” he said.
Referring to the explosion and fire at a fast-food restaurant in Colombo which was linked to a gas leak, the State Minister said that all gas cylinders used by four restaurants in the building were outside and the accident had been caused as one of the cylinders had been left open which had led to a fire.
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