The Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) is taking legal action against a shop in Kandy city found to be hoarding LP gas stocks while telling customers that supplies were unavailable.
Officers carried out the raid on Monday as part of the authority’s nationwide campaign against traders who restrict supply to drive up prices or sell above the gazetted rate, the CAA said. The businessman responsible will face legal proceedings.
The Authority said continuous raids are being conducted across the country to protect consumers from unfair practices, with gas distribution receiving particular scrutiny in recent weeks.
The enforcement action follows sustained pressure on domestic LP gas supply linked to Hormuz-related shipping disruptions. Both Litro and LAUGFS raised LP gas prices earlier in the month, citing higher import costs, though both distributors have maintained that stocks remain adequate at wholesale level. Complaints of localised shortages and over-pricing have nevertheless continued to surface from retail customers in several districts.
The CAA’s Kandy action is the latest in a series of enforcement sweeps that have also targeted rice hoarding in Dambulla and Kegalle ahead of Avurudu, and wider market raids extended through April 30. Officials have urged consumers to report suppliers refusing to sell at gazetted prices via the CAA hotline.
