Following the announcement of new fuel prices in Dominica, the government has urged citizens to exercise financial prudence to be able to deal with the new situation. The Director of Trade, Matthan J. Walter, said the new prices would have significantly been higher if the government had not borne the subsidies.
Walters said the new price for gasoline is $16.47, diesel is $16.58, and kerosene is $16.57. He said gasoline would have been $17.45 and diesel would have been $17.17 if the government had not shouldered their interventions. He said the DLP administration provided two subsidies to reduce the costs of the petroleum products – one is by waiving the customs service charge, and the other is subsidizing the landing cost.
The trade director said the newly regulated fuel prices in Dominica are considerably lower to what obtains in neighbouring countries.
In St. Lucia, gasoline is $17.95 and diesel is also $17.95per gallon. In St. Kitts & Nevis, the price of gasoline is $17.83 and $18.88, because they have two different suppliers of that product…and the price of diesel is $21.72 per gallon. Dominica and other Caribbean countries are price-takers and not price-makers. We, in Dominica especially, are not producers of any petroleum products.
Matthan J. Walter, Director of Trade
Walters also expressed relief that the price of gas is cheaper compared to what it used to be in the country. He said less gas is being used to warm homes because of the summer season and said the people should improve their lifestyles in a manner that will drive down the cost of fuel across board.
In Dominica, a 20lb cylinder is now $36.62, which is a decrease of $2.91. The 27.5lb cylinder is $49.98, a decrease of $4.00; the 30lb cylinder is $54.43, a decrease of $4.37; and the 100lb cylinder is $178.10, a decrease of $14.56. So, we have decreases across board in LPG to the benefit of our consumers on the ground.
Matthan J. Walter, Director of Trade
He promised that the government will continue to engage fuel importers and distributors as well as utility providers and private sector consumers to drive down the cost of fuel in Dominica.
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