Prime Minister Dr. Hon. Ralph Gonsalves while making his weekly appearance on NBC Radio’s “Your Morning Cup” program discussed the request of SVG’s van drivers to have the price of fuel reduced.
“They asked for a reduction in fuel price. Fuel in St. Vincent and the Grenadines is the cheapest in the Caribbean, in CARICOM, other than Trinidad and Tobago.
We get some taxes from fuel, what are you going to do? Reduce the extent of the taxes on the fuel?” Gonsalves said.
The Prime Minister pointed out that this could affect the salaries of teachers, police officers and nurses.
“How are you going to pay the police men that are supposed to be on the road, to help to maintain law and order and the traffic? What about the nurses? Or the teachers? Many of them doing heroic work, very selfless work, doing virtual work and many of them are using their own resources to.” Prime Minister Gonsalves said.
“In any event, if you want to reduce the fuel price for minibuses… you have 600 minibuses, you have 34,000 vehicles or thereabout, you have separate gas stations for them? How is it going to work? Their answer will be “well give everybody!” but as far as I know no one else is asking for it. Other people say well; they understand how things are and they know that the prices rise and come down, depending on the movement internationally in the prices. We have the rolling three month average.”
