The visit was concerning new gas cylinders of 12 kg that will be available for commercial purposes from March 1.
Sayed Hossen said: “The government wishes to establish fairer pricing, while improving the effectiveness of policy of targeting subsidies for gas.”
“Subsidised gas cylinders cost Rs 330 and unsubsidised ones cost Rs 587. Yet, today, industrial users claim to be domestic users and receive a grant which is not intended for them, he added.
Gas cylinders will now be differentiated by its outer surface. An industrial gas cylinder of 12 kgs of Vivo Energy will be dark blue with new valve seals and Total will be red with a yellow tag and a serial number.
Kiran Juwaheer, CEO of Vivo Energy Mauritius Ltd, added: “Currently in Mauritius, 800,000 cylinders are in circulation, out of which about 70 per cent is for domestic use and 30 per cent for commercial purposes, which means the state subsidises around 400,000 cylinders unnecessarily.”
Ministry officers will be monitoring the situation.