Tues. Mar. 1, 2011
Dear Editor,
I read with much interest an article appearing in your newsletter dated February 18, entited “Butane Burglary”.
The article decries the apparent rip off of the Belizean consumer by butane gas companies in Belize and seeks the intervention of the regulatory body for the protection of consumers. Mention is also made of a German company to be contracted to advise on the matter.
My two cents is that whilst the government/regulatory body’s intervention is great for monitoring the quality of the product that is sold, what is really needed is a simple and self-policing mechanism to monitor the quantity of the product sold.
As is done in Botswana, where I am currently engaged, this can be accomplished by the installation of an inexpensive pressure gauge to the regulator of the gas tank.
In Botswana, these gauges cost the equivalent of BZ$12.00, and once properly calibrated, are very effective in ensuring that the consumer receives a full tank. The gauge would also indicate when it is time for refill.
The solution therefore lies in empowering individual consumers with the appropriate mechanism, combined with consumer education and a mix of vigilance to stamp out the corruption that we have long known exists in this industry.
And please, it does not require a foreigner to complete the rip-off and tell us just that.
Hubert Enriquez