BELIZE CITY, Mon. Jan. 16, 2017–As we took a snapshot of the price list for gasoline at a UNO gas station in Belize City, which showed the price of regular and premium gasoline listed at $9.91 a gallon for both types of fuel, a driver celebrated the fact that at least the prices are still under $10 a gallon in Belize City—although he is hoping for a price ease at the pumps.

For several days now, drivers could buy a gallon of premium gasoline for the same price as they could buy regular gasoline—which means that most drivers would take advantage of the price anomaly.

What is the reason for the current state of affairs? Amandala has been reliably informed that the last time gasoline was imported, only regular gas was shipped, and it so happened that the acquisition price increased to such an extent that it pushed the level as high as the price of premium gasoline. It is not the first time that price anomalies have been seen at the pumps.

Another observation is that pump prices have continued to trend upward. Since 2016, pump prices have been escalating from their lows of 2015, and additional taxes levied by the Government at the pumps have meant that drivers are paying more taxes apart from higher market prices.

International reports today indicate that crude oil prices on the world market have slipped, but forecasts on what price trends will be for 2017 vary. Indications are that prices, driven by supply and demand and the strategies of the oil cartel, may have bottomed-out, although forecasts tend to be highly speculative.