Gas stations strike for bigger margins

It started as a few random rumours late this afternoon, but by five, long lines were already spilling onto the street from the nation’s gas stations. The reason: an alleged decision by the Belize Service Station Dealers Association to shut down operations at 6:00 p.m. tonight. The dealers had been seeking an increase in their margin from six to nine percent, but had committed to a negotiating process with government that was already underway. We spoke to Association president Nolberto Rancharan who refused to comment on the situation, but we are reliably informed that at least four of the forty-four member stations will not strike and it is believed that more oil company owned stations will also remain open.

[Added last minute at end of newscast]

In late developments in the gasoline situation, we just spoke to Nolberto Rancharan, president of the dealers association. He confirmed that all but four gas stations have closed indefinitely. The association will meet with government tomorrow morning to try to hammer out a solution. Rancharan said that the trigger for tonight’s action was government’s failure to meet their demand for an increase in the dealer’s margin from six to nine percent. News 5 has confirmed that at least five stations have refused to go on strike. These are One-Stop Shell in Belize City and Orange Walk, and three Texaco dealers in the city.