Tobago gas operators say ‘increase the margin’

This was the proposed solution following a decision by President of the Tobago Gas Station Operators and Petroleum Dealers Association Hochoy Charles to the Trinidad and Tobago Petroleum Dealers Association (TTPDA) decision to discontinue all electronic payment on-site options in an effort to cut operating costs.

The solution was proposed as Charles spoke at a press conference called at the Taxi Cooperative Society building in Canaan on Thursday as he called on the Government to address the issue as a matter of urgency.

“The margin offered to the gas station operators and dealers is too low you are not making any money in order to keep your business in operation.

What is required to be done the solution to the problem is that they need to increase the margin and that is all the PDA (Petroleum Dealers Association) is saying. They are quite accurate they are right and it is since 2005 we have been attempting to get this margin increased.

Even with the recent increase in fuel the Government adjusted the price for the margin at one level ” he said.

Charles indicated that once this margin is increased especially in these times of recession and the challenges in the economy somebody some institution in this case the Government would have to accept less than they are making so somebody will have to bear the burden of the increase. “The Government will have to bear the burden NP will have to bear the burden in our case in Tobago.

That is what the Government will need to look at and we proposed a solution to the Government that NP could still be profitable even if they increase the margin without suffering any loss and any defeat. Increase the margin of profit and we say if you increase the margin we are frank and fair enough and truthful to say if you increase the margin it means that somebody will have to forego part of the profits that they are making now and I am saying that the wholesaler should be that one and how can they be profitable still… by changing the business model under which the state enterprise operates ” Charles said.

The president said that these proposals were made to the Government previously but no solution has ever been offered.

“We proposed to the Government the previous as well as this one the way you do that is that the business model under which NP operates should be changed and that can be done early to allow NP to be just strictly the wholesaler of fuel and lubricant petroleum products and allow the private sector the gas station operators and dealers to deal with the retailing ” he explained.

He said that while the gas stations in Tobago continue to accept credit cards they are expecting that there will be a solution to the problem immediately. “They still accept credit and debit cards at gas stations in Tobago especially southwest.

There are people that talk to us public servants police teachers employees sometimes at the end of the month after they pay mortgages and insurance on their cars they don’t even have enough money to buy food for the month so it’s their credit cards that they live on month to month.

So if we don’t accept them our business will close down but we are concerned about the public too if we discontinue this you will see a lot of cars parked no movement no gas” Charles said. Should there be no solution in the next coming months Charles said that Association will meet again before making a decision.