Fuel prices to dip on Tuesday – but main opposition party says rate still too high

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close up shot of a man's hand pumping gas into an suv. shot with a canon 5d.
Gas prices leapt in March shortly after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine (Photo courtesy iStock)
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The motoring public will see a dip in the price of fuel at the pumps as of Tuesday.

Prime Minister Gaston Browne noted over the weekend that he had been advised by the West Indies Oil Company that the next shipment of fuel is likely to be reduced by about EC$0.93 per gallon of gasoline and EC$0.46 for diesel.

He further stated that the policy of the government is to transfer those savings to the people of Antigua and Barbuda.

“So, as of Tuesday, there will be a reduction in diesel and gasoline prices,” he said.

“Normally we would not announce the reduction until Tuesday because people have a tendency to go and scale up, but the prices are going down now, so they have no choice but to wait,” Browne said over the weekend.

In early June, the price of gasoline increased from EC$15.15 to EC$17.50 per gallon, while the price of diesel jumped from $15.23 to $17.25 per gallon. Prices had seen an earlier leap in March when gas increased from $12.50 to $15.70 per gallon, shortly after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine which sent costs spiralling worldwide.

While some will welcome this week’s decrease, at least one group is far from impressed.

The main opposition United Progressive Party questioned the reduction and accused the government of “playing with your mind” and “messing with your pocket”.

The party shared in a Facebook post that while it has been calling for the government to reduce the cost of fuel at the pumps as a relief measure for some time the prices are still too high for current world oil price trends.

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