KORONADAL CITY, Philippines - An inter-agency task force has fined two establishments and confiscated underweight liquefied petroleum gas cylinders in a renewed crackdown on unscrupulous LPG suppliers in Gen. Santos City, the Department of Trade and Industry said.
Two retailers have been fined P2,000 cash each, and six cylinders containing insufficient LPG have been seized since the Gen. Santos City LPG Task Force launched last week a new campaign aimed at stopping malpractices of local suppliers.
The task force is composed of representatives from the Gen. Santos City government, the Bureau of Fire Protection, the Philippine National Police, the Gen Santos City Consumer Welfare Council Inc., the Liquefied Petroleum Gas Industry Association Inc., the Department of Energy, and the DTI’s Region 12 office.
The DTI-12, in an emailed statement, said the law enforcement activity of the task force shall be a continuing and sustained campaign in line with the city government’s local LPG consumers’ welfare protection efforts.
The confiscated LPG cylinders are now in the custody of the Gen. Santos City fire bureau, according to DTI-12.
The task force is clothed with authority to seize and penalize violators based on the 2006 LPG Industry Ordinance of Gen. Santos City.
The DTI-12 said 23 establishments have been subjected to extensive inspection by task force members since the operation began last week.
“The task force shall be at the forefront of the campaign to curb illegal refilling and sale of under-filled LPG cylinders, and other unfair trade practices of suppliers in Gen. Santos City,†the DTI-12 said.
The DTI-12 also lauded the Gen. Santos City police and officials of the local fire bureau for supporting its campaign.