BELIZE CITY, Thurs. Mar. 26, 2015–After days of scarcity of premium fuel, the gas stations are stocked with a fresh supply – a supply which allows consumers, at least for the time being, to be able to purchase premium gasoline for 9 cents less than they pay for regular gasoline.
Earlier this week, the price of regular gasoline was increased by more than a dollar on the gallon to $8.89, although no new shipment had come into the country. The Ministry of Finance has issued a press release claiming that the “surprise price hike” was due to an “invoicing error.”
Even as the price of regular gas spiked, consumers had a hard time sourcing premium gasoline and were forced to fill up on regular gas.
When the premium gasoline supply came online, though, those consumers were able to purchase the higher quality fuel at the cheaper price.
The Government says that the invoicing error on the regular gas supply was made by Puma Energy Belize Limited, and the Ministry of Finance, which sets the pump prices for gasoline, approved the price correction after obtaining independent verification.