Some 36 gas station service dealers have been listed to be given the boot with the implementation of the Retailer's Model by the National Petroleum Marketing Company Ltd (NP).Party financiers, friends and supporters of the People's Partnership Government are said to be in line to take over these gas stations, the Sunday Guardian has been informed.A high-ranking government official two months ago gave directives as to whose five-year leases are to be terminated or those that will not be renewed.
Top NP officials revealed that over the last month, eight of the dealers were told of the decision taken by NP while the other 28 are expected to be informed in the upcoming months.
The Sunday Guardian reported exclusively on December 9, 2012, that under the Retailer's Model NP imposed a bond requirement of a maximum of $1 million on gas station service dealers. With the implementation of the new model, dealers who are unable to meet the bond requirement were told that they would either have their five-year leases terminated or not renewed.
However, Sunday Guardian obtained financial statements of some of the gas stations identified which showed that many of them are operating at a profit, pointing to no clear reason for terminating or not renewing the leases of the dealers.The low-key transition plan was initially set to come on stream in September last year but was pushed back to January for reasons unknown.
In July the state-owned company issued a public tender for company-owned and company-operated dealers to submit bids for the business opportunity.The Quick Shoppe Gas Station operators were informed that due to the transition process their month-to-month contracts would not be extended.In November the tender for dealer owned/company operated service stations was advertised.According to NP's Web site there are 140 service stations operating throughout T&T.
Perusal of the tender package showed that no where is the bond requirement listed. The dealers, however, were only informed of the bond requirement after bid packages were submitted. The bid document only states, "NP hereby invites applicants to submit a completed pre-qualification document for the retail opportunity to operate one of the company's service stations outlets located in T&T."
Under the existing arrangement operators are charged a rental throughput fee based on the volume of gas sold. With the implementation of the new plan dealers must meet the required bond requested if they are to be allowed to operate a service station."Some of the dealers can raise the bond but they are not being given the opportunity. The bond requirement was never raised in the interview, it was only brought to their attention after.
"They are saying some of the gas stations are bad-performing but financial records would show otherwise," the NP official said. The NP official referred to the move as the "gas station racket."It was in the 1960s civil servant Gene Miles implicated the Ministry of Petroleum, Mines, Industry and Commerce in questionable operations regarding the allocation of gas stations to businessmen who were leasing them from the government.She implicated several high-ranking officials as part of the corrupt ploy.
Petroleum DealersAssociation head not around
When Sunday Guardian contacted Petroleum Dealers Association head Vedish Sookhai yesterday, upon hearing the name of this reporter, the man who answered his telephone said he was not around.Telephone calls and text messages sent to NP chairman Neil Gosine and communications manager Jessica James went unanswered.
The following gas stations identified by NP may either have their leases terminated or not renewed.
NPMC Cross Crossing
NPMC Debe
NPMC Four Roads
NPMC Gasparillo
NPMC Morvant
NPMC Rich Plain
NPMC Richmond Street
NPMC Royal Road
NPMC Rushworth Street
NPMC Saddle Road
NPMC Santa Flora
NPMC Tacarigua
NPMC Hollis Avenue
NPMC Duncan Village
NPMC Tobago
NPMC Siparia
NPMC Roxborough
NPMC D'Abadie
NPMC Chaguanas
NPMC Freeport
NPMC St Augustine
NPMC Maracas
NPMC Tragarete Road
NPMC Valencia
NPMC Arouca
NPMC Barataria-West
NPMC Boissiere Village
NPMC Chase Village
NPMC Des Limited
NPMC O'Meara Road
NPMC Tunapuna
NPMC Starlite
NPMC Barataria-East
NPMC Curepe
NPMC Erin