The Bhutanese Leading the way.
The Consumer and Competition Affairs Authority (CCAA), in collaboration with the Regional Office of Industry, Commerce, and Employment (ROICE) will intensify inspections of LPG retail outlets and home delivery agents after discovering issues related to receipt issuance, lack of weighing machines and improper storage practices.
Between 21st January and 3rd February 2025 CCAA and ROICE Thimphu, conducted random inspections to verify the accuracy of domestic LPG cylinder weights.
The inspections resulted in fines totaling Nu 32,967 for two LPG retail outlets and two home delivery agents found distributing cylinders weighing less than the specified amount. The violators were issued administrative warnings, with further actions to be taken for repeat offenses under the relevant regulations.
During the inspections, it was revealed that most home delivery agents failed to issue purchase receipts or cash memos to consumers, with some agents not even possessing receipts.
Additionally, none of the home delivery agents were found carrying weighing machines, despite this being a mandatory requirement under Section 134(5) of the Trade and Industry Rules, 2023.
Several agents were also found storing both filled and empty LPG cylinders in their vehicles overnight, violating the storage protocols set forth in the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for the Storage and Handling of LPG Cylinders, 2022.
The Department of Trade and ROICEs will ensure strict enforcement of LPG supply and delivery regulations as per the Trade & Industry Rules, 2023. ROICE will remind home delivery agents of the importance of compliance and regularly verify cylinder stocks, addressing any improper practices.
CCAA and ROICE will conduct more frequent inspections to quickly identify and address violations affecting consumers.
CCAA is requesting consumers to verify the weight of LPG cylinders at delivery, request proper receipts, and report any violations, and shared that consumer cooperation is vital, as home delivery agents are often difficult to track due to their mobile nature.
Thimphu has 22 registered home delivery agents, 4 LPG retail outlets, and 1 commercial cylinder distributor. Domestic LPG cylinders are intended for household use, while commercial cylinders supply businesses such as restaurants, hotels, and small industries.
The inspection covered four retail outlets located in Motithang (BOD), Chubachu and Langdro (DPCL), and Changzamtog (DPDCL), and involved eight randomly selected home delivery agents during their deliveries.
Over 300 domestic LPG cylinders, including 182 subsidized and 121 non-subsidized, were inspected, comparing their actual weight with the declared weight.
The inspections also assessed whether suppliers and distributors used properly calibrated weighing machines and issued purchase receipts to consumers.
