Senior Reporter
jesse.ramdeo@cnc3.co.tt
Grieving families could soon face higher cremation costs following the National Gas Company’s (NGC) proposed 77 per cent increase in natural gas prices, according to president of the Association of Funeral Professionals of Trinidad and Tobago, Keith Belgrove.
Speaking with Guardian Media yesterday, Belgrove warned that the hike would strike at the core of crematorium operations, which are already under pressure from high energy consumption, foreign-currency maintenance costs, and stringent environmental regulations.
Belgrove said crematoria rely heavily on natural gas, and any sharp increase in prices would immediately threaten the viability of their operations.
“The maintenance cost—it’s all in US dollars. Every time something has to be done, we have to bring in a technician and pay in US dollars, which is extremely difficult to access,” he said.
He added that environmental compliance costs further compound the problem, pointing to what he described as onerous emissions—testing requirements imposed by the Environmental Management Authority (EMA).
“One emissions test on a crematorium stack can cost anywhere between $80,000 and $90,000, and we are required to do that almost every year. From our perspective, that is unreasonable, and we will be addressing that with the EMA in due course,” Belgrove said.
According to Belgrove, when these expenses are combined with a steep rise in gas prices, the financial burden will inevitably be passed on to consumers.
“When you couple that with massive increases in gas prices, the only person who will pay for that is the consumer at the end of the road. At the end of the day, we have to ensure the crematorium remains viable, and that cost will be passed on to the end consumer,” he said.
While Belgrove stopped short of predicting a specific increase in cremation fees, he said price adjustments would be unavoidable if the proposal moves forward.
“It’s difficult to estimate offhand because we don’t yet have the reports from the subcommittee,” he explained. “There will be an increase, but I don’t anticipate we’ll see hikes in the region of 20 to 25 per cent, as the number of crematoria in operation and the volume of cremations they carry out will help to soften the blow.”
Guardian Media understands that the cost to conduct a cremation alone currently ranges between $3,500 and $4,500.
Belgrove also confirmed that the association has established a committee to assess the potential impact of the proposed gas price increase.
“We do have a committee that will be taking a look at this. We’ve already set that up, but the subcommittee still has to convene,” he said.
NGC’s planned increase in gas prices for light industrial and commercial customers has sparked wider concerns about inflationary pressures and reduced productivity. The Government has so far maintained its position in support of the increase.
