This country has stocks of Regular gasoline to last until the end of this month and into December.
But the Government is still currently examining ways to determine how best this type of fuel can be imported in the small quantities being demanded, Energy Minister Franklin Khan said yesterday.
Speaking to members of the media at the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) at the Hyatt Regency, Port-of-Spain, however, Khan rubbished the notion that T&T is experiencing a “fuel situation.”
Admitting Regular gasoline remained a “small challenge,” Khan assured this is being worked on by the Government.
“The use of Regular gasoline is so small we cannot get ships to bring in that amount of cargo. But we are working on some way to see how we can still get Regular gas,” Khan said.
He also again dismissed reports that Super gasoline is burning out faster now that this country is importing fuel.
Khan said these comments being made by the public were misinformed, as the country had not yet started using its imported fuel supply.
“Imagine people saying their gas is burning faster and we haven’t even put the imported gas on the market as yet.
“It is normal refinery gas...it is mind over matter at a minimum and it is mischief at a maximum. We promised the nation that we would have a seamless transition from refinery fuels to imported fuels and we have no reason to change that position,” Khan added.
St Croix/Barrackpore Taxi Drivers’ Association vice president Narine Lochan was one of the individuals who had claimed his members were complaining that Super gasoline seemed to be burning faster. He had said given the higher cost of Super and Premium gas, using Regular fuel had become a preferred choice for taxi drivers, despite the car manual recommendation that a certain octane of fuel should be used.
“Super is burning out like water and we have to mix using Regular gas because the cost is too much. We can’t get the distance we cover with the Super now. What we need is for the Government to subsidise taxi drivers. The gas is causing havoc to the taxi industry,” Lochan said.
Asked to comment on a newspaper and television report which claimed there is a gas racket at Petrotrin, Khan said he could not make a statement as he neither saw the report nor had any knowledge of the allegations.