No Relief as Gas Prices Go Higher
Drivers have been clamouring about the increase in fuel prices at the pumps which since November of 2020 have gone up by more than three dollars across the board. We are not sure if there was some breakdown in communication at the Government Press Office, but overnight, there was an increase in premium gas and kerosene. Yet, there was no accompanying notice from the Ministry of Finance as is the usual practice. Premium gas increased by seventeen cents and now retails at almost thirteen dollars, while kerosene went up by ninety-seven cents to almost ten dollars. News Five’s Duane Moody took to the streets for reaction to the price hikes.
Duane Moody, Reporting
If you went to the pumps today, you found that there were changes in the retail price of fuel, where all except for kerosene is selling for over eleven dollars. Premium gas is now twelve dollars and ninety cents a gallon, while regular gas is being sold at twelve dollars and twenty-eight cents. Diesel is at eleven dollars and fifty-six cents per gallon and kerosene is just below the ten-dollar mark at nine dollars and seventy-two cents. Taxi drivers are being hit hard.
Theodore Figueroa
Theodore Figueroa, Member, Bus Terminal & Market Square Taxi Cooperative
“Naturally for some time now, we have been working at a loss. The pandemic has the entire world economy on its knees. And in addition to that, the gas price. The gas price went up, we are working at a loss; the people don’t not have the money if we are to raise the price. Then we have a whole lotta checkpoint keeping back the traffic.”
So will the hike trigger an increase in taxi fares?
Theodore Figueroa
“I think for us, as taxi drivers, we should consider. We have to come up with our own strategy. I think what we need now dah smaller vehicle, more economic vehicle or something to that effect.”
Duane Moody
“But that in itself is going to cost you.”
Theodore Figueroa
“Definitely. So I think we can say that we are at a standstill. We need to come to the drawing board and try to figure this out together because for us, as taxi drivers, it’s really not working.”
But as we found out, there are other perspectives. Errol White says he’s never heard of gas going down.
Errol White
Errol White, Belize City Resident
“I buy gas and dehn need fi do something about that.”
Duane Moody
“Does it make you not use your vehicle now?”
Errol White
“Well I just have to spend more money and try think about make more money to buy gas, yo understand. But dah wah crisis right now pan the gas.”
Victoria
Victoria, Belize City Resident
“Right now it sad that the gas really go high. People prefer their own transportation than catching bus because bus and other public transportation, it kinda risky. And now like the thirteen dollars, my gosh, it make we feel like – weh part we wah get money to get that gas? Like right now, we di walk because weh we wah get dehn money fi buy dehn gas deh fi go.”
Josie Herrera
Josie Herrera, Belize City Resident
“Well I noh drive so ih noh affect me. So the people dehn weh drive well dah dehn it di affect more than anything else.”
…and while like Josie Herrera, you may not own a vehicle or motorcycle, you too are affected because an increase in fuel prices drives up the cost on other commodities such as food and services. Taxi operator Theodore Figueroa agrees.
Theodore Figueroa
“It affects everything because movement – yo need to move yo food, yo need to move everything yo use. Yo have to move it from one place to your place. Perhaps, maybe the government could consider to subsidize someway so that they could keep the fuel price at a standard.”
Will there be any relief any time soon? Not according to the Prime Minister, who spoke with News Five earlier this month.
Prime Minister John Briceño [File: February 7th, 2022]
“Fuel brings in approximately a hundred and fifty million dollars of revenues to the government in a year. That’s the largest revenue earner of the government. For every ten cents that we take off the tax, we lose three million dollars. So if we remove a dollar, that means thirty million dollars in taxes are going to be lost. And if we lose that thirty million dollars in taxes, we need to get it somewhere else. Where are we going to raise taxes? We have not raised taxes; we have not raised the tax on fuel since we came into government. I have asked the Ministry of Finance to prepare a report. I will take it to the Cabinet for us to discuss because I do believe and I feel (along) with Belizeans that the price of fuel is too high. I am in that business; my brother and I own two service stations so we hear it from people every day. So of course we want to reduce the price, but when we do that, we have to do it responsibly.”
Duane Moody for News Five.
