As Dominicans heaved a sigh of relief and queued up to buy fuel in Roseau and Canefield, the opposition insisted that PM Roosevelt Skerrit is largely to blame for the one-week fuel scarcity that nearly crippled Dominica. The government made good on its promise to have fuel available to the public on December 23, with hopes that more shipments will arrive in the country on December 25 and 27.
Although hundreds of consumers lined up at fuel stations for hours on end to purchase the commodity, many expressed relief that queueing is not as worrisome as having a scarcity. Some potential buyers said they had been waiting with kegs in hand for up to 10 hours to buy fuel, and others said they nearly slept overnight at the fuel stations to be able to acquire the scarce product.
Some farmers said the fuel scarcity had made it impossible for them to go to their farms which are far away, and several fishermen said they grounded their fishing vessels due to a lack of petrol. Commuters also complained of being out of work since they had no fuel to run their vehicles, while many public servants said that getting to work in the morning and returning home is nearly impossible with no public transportation in sight.
This situation made some drivers demand that priority should be given to them in purchasing fuel since the economy relies on them to run smoothly. Some fishermen also demanded that they ought not to queue at public stations to buy fuel, but they should have dedicated fuel stations where they will be serviced without stress.
Hundreds of Dominicans even complained of a bleak Christmas with no fuel to run their vehicles, shipping vessels, power generators, or generate business revenue in any way. Some people said that since they have not been paid their salaries, the side hustles they run to raise income for Christmas has been crippled with no fuel in the country. A few said this is potentially the bleariest Christmas they will be celebrating in decades.
Meanwhile, the opposition has seized the opportunity to heap blame on the DLP administration for the fuel scarcity. UWP political leader, Dr. Thomson Fontaine, said Skerrit does not understand the oil and energy market – hence the constant fuel shortage in country. He said the prime minister ought to have placed orders to have the product shipped to the country well ahead of time, instead of thinking fuel for an entire country is just something you can enter a supermarket to order for and expect it to be placed in your palm.
Fontaine also blamed Skerrit for failing to negotiate with Rubis which supplies about 52% of the gas used in Dominica. The opposition leader criticized the prime minister for daring Rubis to leave the country when actually the fuel supplier has the capacity to keep the country running efficiently on fuel availability if the pump price is right.
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