Phnom Penh, Cambodia – The Kingdom of Cambodia maintains a robust supply of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), commonly known as cooking gas, despite the recent decision by Sokimex company to suspend its sales operations. Mr. Keo Rattanak, Minister of Mines and Energy, has affirmed that the nation’s existing seven LPG import and distribution companies across the country are consistently importing gas to meet market demands for both March and April.
Minister Rattanak conveyed this assurance in an approximately eight-minute video broadcast on the morning of March 23rd. He emphasized that current orders are already in stock, with ongoing deliveries and new orders being placed continuously. Furthermore, the ministry is actively seeking additional and diverse sources for gas supply to further bolster national reserves.
Addressing concerns regarding Sokimex’s announcement to halt gas sales at its stations starting from April, Minister Rattanak clarified that this development will not impact Cambodia’s overall gas market supply. He explained, “Sokimex is just one of the seven companies operating in the market. Its contribution to Cambodia’s gas supply accounts for only approximately three percent of the total market share. Therefore, even if Sokimex cannot supply gas from April onwards and cannot secure additional sources, we still possess a substantial number of other sources to adequately supply our country.”
In light of these circumstances, Mr. Keo Rattanak urged all citizens to remain calm and avoid any panic regarding the situation. Instead, he called for collective participation in conserving all types of fuel, with a particular emphasis on reducing gas consumption. He encouraged households currently using gas stoves to consider switching to electric stoves, highlighting that electricity prices in Cambodia remain stable and have not increased.
“By making this shift, we contribute to saving gas for society,” Minister Rattanak explained. “This allows us to reserve this difficult-to-source gas for our tuk-tuk and taxi drivers, as well as for larger restaurants, which often have limited alternatives for their business operations besides using gas.” He further elaborated that this call to action is a collective effort to navigate the challenges Cambodia, like many other countries globally, faces due to the negative impacts stemming from the ongoing conflict in the Middle East over the past month.
It is worth noting that over the last three weeks, fuel and gas prices in Cambodia have experienced significant and sharp increases. Standard gasoline prices have reached 5,400 Riel per liter, while diesel is now priced at 6,700 Riel per liter, with gas prices also soaring considerably during this period.
