The increase in the price of fuel at the pumps and the likely implications will be high on the agenda when the Public Transportation Union (PUT) meets today.
Ian Joseph, who is also the president of the United Taxi Company — which is a member of the umbrella body for bus and taxi drivers in Antigua and Barbuda — confirmed the meeting to our newsroom.
“Rightfully, any increase is going to affect us directly. We are going to be discussing that, and then we will be making a presentation to the authorities because any price increase is going to heavily affect our operations. I have already indicated to them via our communication method that we will have to put that on our agenda. A definite statement could come in a day or two, but we expect the price increase,” Joseph said.
The cost of crude oil has been soaring as a result of the Russia/Ukraine conflict and Prime Minister Gaston Browne explained over the weekend that the prices at the pump will be increased between Monday and Tuesday.
Browne said residents could pay as much as EC $15 per gallon for gas in the coming days. The cost is currently fixed at EC $12.50.
There is still no confirmation on what that price hike will be as, according to the CEO of the West Indies Oil Company (WIOC), Gregory Georges, that figure is determined by the government’s Ministry of Finance.
He explained that, to date, WIOC had not been formally advised of the price build up.