Prime Minister Gaston Browne says he has directed the West Indies Oil Company (WIOC) to invest in additional fuel storage tanks and gasoline and diesel pumps as a safeguard against future shutdowns by private service station operators.

In a Facebook post Wednesday, Browne said the move is intended to protect Antigua and Barbuda from what he described as a threat by gas station dealers to “lock down the country” to force an increase in their profit margins.

“I have directed WIOC to invest in some storage tanks, gas and diesel pumps, to mitigate against the threat of the gas station dealers ‘locking down the country’ to force an increase in their margins,” Browne wrote.

The statement follows an ongoing dispute over the margins earned by service station operators. Dealers temporarily disrupted fuel sales in September while pressing the government for improved margins. Following talks with Browne, stations resumed normal operations and the government agreed to further examine their concerns.

The government has said a special review committee will consider increasing the dealers’ margin from 12 per cent to 15 per cent, while also examining operating costs and card-processing fees.

Browne’s latest directive signals that the government also wants WIOC to have greater capacity to sell fuel directly to motorists if privately operated stations halt sales again.

This article was originally published by Antigua News Room. Read the original article here: PM Directs WIOC to Install Fuel Pumps and Storage Tanks Amid Threat of Gas Station Shutdown.