The National Association of Gasoline Retailers (ANADEGAS) has called for a boycott on new purchases of fuels from the National Refinery, according to the lead story in many of today?s papers. After talks with the Ministry of Industry and Commerce had broken down, the spokesman for ANADEGAS told reporters that gas stations would receive their last tankers at midnight, and sell the product until depleted. The more popular stations should have an estimated two- to three-day supply of fuel and those that are less busy will have fuel for up to seven days. Minister of Industry and Commerce, Sonia Guzman de Hernandez, told the press that now was not the time for the gasoline retailers to take this sort of action, and rejected the notion of reviewing the profit margins of the retailers, as per their demand. She added that not all of the stations in the country are members of ANADEGAS. Diario Libre newspaper approximates that 486 gasoline stations belong to the association, while 174 do not. Nevertheless, the leadership of ANADEGAS says that 50 of the remaining stations will cooperate with their action. At the same time, Juan Ignacio Espaillat told reporters that there were 91 stations owned by the gasoline companies, which, therefore, were not expected to participate in the boycott.
Hoy newspaper explains that the retailers rejected the government?s proposal of transferring a new profit margin to consumers, as well as postponing their demand for an immediate solution to the ?technical losses.? Espaillat told the press that a gasoline retailer loses RD$2.24 pesos for each gallon sold.
According to the president of ANADEGAS, Sonia Guzman said that to settle the problem another sector would be affected ? a reference to the four main petroleum companies operating in the Dominican Republic. The retailers say that they lose 1.24 percent of each 10,000-gallon purchase due to shrinkage, and that there are international norms that govern this situation.