Cheaper and Better Quality Butane to Come
On Wednesday, representatives from three butane companies namely Belize Western Energy Limited, Gas Tomza, and Southern Choice Butane (Zeta Gas) met with Prime Minister Dean Barrow. On the table for discussion was the newly formed National Gas Company which will oversee the LPG industry in Belize. According to Prime Minister Dean Barrow, the National Gas Company’s main objectives are to lower the cost of butane and ensure a quality product for the benefit of the consumers. The exiting importers of LPG, however, are not happy because they have invested millions of dollars in the industry. PM Barrow says that these companies can submit bids for the transportation of LPG.
Dean Barrow
Prime Minister Dean Barrow
“You’ve seen where one of the investors of the company Mr. Bowen is saying look if we cannot bring in the LPG cheaper than is the currently the case, I will in fact eat my hat or he has done better. He said he will make a contribution to the difference to some kind of charity or something like that. This is how convinced everybody involved in the National Gas Company is that we can bring it in cheaper that we currently the case.”
Reporter
“Who will be the ones who will get the butane to the port?”
Prime Minister Dean Barrow
“The National Gas Company as I understand will place the order. They will accept bids for the transportation and so that is where these current operators that have the capacity for logistics can come and make their bids. If the bids are not competitive then that is a different story.”
Reporter
“But remember PM that they have been bringing it through land so now it is different set of logistics.”
Prime Minister Dean Barrow
“And that is what will as far as we are concerned will result in lower prices. Now if they have to make adjustments because they are accustomed to the over land transfer well that is what the change is about and that is fundamental to the change because that is what will give us the lower wholesale price.”
Reporter
“In essence it is starting to see now that the NGCL really doing much; they are suppose to be transporting their own butane.”
Prime Minister Dean Barrow
“No, no, no. They are supposed to be ensuring that the supply of the butane is at a price lower considerably that is currently the case.”
