Prime Minister Gaston Browne says the government has agreed to increase gas station dealers’ margins by December once negotiations are complete, rejecting complaints from operators in Antigua and Barbuda over delays in addressing their financial concerns.

“We have an agreement to assist the gas station dealers with an increase by December, upon completion of the negotiations,” Browne wrote on Facebook. “We have not reneged on the agreement. Their actions are unjustifiable.”

His comments followed an open letter dated Oct. 7 in which service station operators warned that shrinking margins were threatening their ability to maintain operations and preserve jobs.

The operators said their gross margin had fallen from 8% earlier this year to 6.38% as fuel prices increased. They said dealers receive $1.08 per gallon of gasoline and 95 cents per gallon of diesel while facing higher wholesale purchase costs.

They urged Browne to implement a floating margin they said Cabinet approved in 2003 and immediately establish a promised review committee to complete its work within an agreed 90-day period.

The operators also said letters delivered to the prime minister’s office in March and September had gone unanswered, with no communication since a Sept. 1 meeting.

In a separate Facebook post, Browne said gas stations that were currently open would remain open late into the night to meet customers’ needs.

His posts did not specify the size of the planned increase or identify the stations offering extended hours.

This article was originally published by Antigua News Room. Read the original article here: PM Says Gas Station Margin Increase Due by December, Calls Operators’ Actions “Unjustifiable”.