– timing seems suspect
The Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana (FITUG) has recognized that the Government announced that effective today (February 04, 2019), the price of fuel at the state-owned Guyoil has been reduced by 10 per cent. In its announcement, the Government shared that the reduction was due to lower acquisition costs though we are aware that oil prices have been falling for some time now. It is not lost on us that the fuel price reduction comes just days after the major coalition partner launched its election campaign committee and there has been a heightened Ministerial outreaches. Whether it is a strange coincidence or not, we are not sure but the timing does seem suspect.
For our beleaguered and hard-pressed working-people the reduction is a most welcome reprieve at this time. While happy about this development, whatever the motivations are, we remain, at the same time, extremely concerned as to whether the savings that will accrue will be passed on to our people. Already, our workers have been made to find thousands more per month to meet the increased cost of public transportation. In view of this newest development, would the Ministry of Business be reviewing the recently increased fares taking into account the reduction? Will there be any sort of mechanism deployed to ensure that the benefits of the timely reduction are enjoyed by especially our working-poor?
We could not fail to note that the reduction only applies gasoline and dieseline. On this score, we wonder whether the acquisition costs of kerosene and cooking gas have not declined as well. For us it is strange that just the prices of just two (2) types of fuel have been reduced but the other remains where they are. We would hope that the Administration would provide a rational explanation regarding this clearly puzzling adjustment.
Many, including FITUG, have longed called for the Government to meaningfully address the cost of fuel recognizing its impact on the wider society. Notwithstanding the credible reasons for the Government’s intervention it remained defiant and unmoved by the calls of the Guyanese people and their organizations. The eleventh hour entry on the eve of possibly National elections, in our view, does little to demonstrate that the Administration move in this regard was sincere and profound.
