Minister for Trade and Energy Dr. Vince Henderson has assured the public that, “there is no gas shortage on the island.”
He made the disclosure during a live interview on State-Owned Radio DBS on Friday.
Just over the Christmas holidays, the country suffered a shortage of gasoline at the pumps, and vehicle owners have been queuing up at gas stations to fill up their tanks. The same situation was repeated yesterday.
“The last time we spoke there was indeed low levels of gasoline on the island, but I am not sure what exactly happened yesterday up to last night,” Dr. Henderson said. “However, when I got a report last night I was informed that some gas stations may in fact have low levels of gasoline at their facilities.”
He continued, “I will hasten to say that, there is no gas shortage on the island,” he revealed.
Dr. Henderson further revealed that he was advised by the Manager of the Petro Caribe facility that, “in fact, we have adequate supply of gasoline in storage for the next several days.”
“I am not sure exactly why those long lines… I am not even sure why people are spreading [word] that there is a shortage of gasoline on island,” he remarked.
He indicated that the objective of the government is to ensure that there is a reliable supply of gasoline at, “the required quality available all the time, not only in our storage tanks but also at the pumps.”
He believes what has to be addressed and the government will ensure that it works with other companies such as NP, West Indies Oil, to ensure that the retailers, the suppliers, and those who have the pumps will have an adequate supply of gasoline for the next few days, “until we get the next shipment.”
Furthermore, he revealed that a shipment of gasoline is expected next week from West Indies Oil Company.
“I spoke to the Chief Executive Officer yesterday and I was informed by him that they expect a shipment on the 3rd or the 4th January,” Dr. Henderson revealed.
He noted that the shipment was expected earlier, however, “because of a number of things beyond our control that shipment was moved between the 3rd and the 4th.”
Dr. Henderson stated that another shipment is expected next week.
“In other words, we are expecting two shipments of gasoline next week and by January 8th we are expecting 10,000 barrels of gasoline from Jamaica and that was a special order that was placed by the Prime Minister’s office,”
This, he said, is to ensure that the Dominica National Petroleum Company has an adequate supply of gasoline in storage to supply to distributors throughout the island.
“That is to say in the next 10 days we expect 3 shipments of gasoline to Dominica,” Dr. Henderson stated.
In terms of storage, he said that based on what is expected in the next 10 days, the government will need increased storage facilities to ensure that there are enough supplies on the island.
“We were able to secure a facility at DCP [Dominica Coconut Products] in Jimmit not too far from the Petro Caribe facility where 10,000 barrels of storage space is being prepared,” he said
According to Dr. Henderson work has been started, the site has been cleaned and the lines from the jetty that DCP once used to offload their supplies into their barrels have been pressure tested.
“We are entering into a lease agreement with the proprietors of that facility to ensure that when our fuel tanker arrives they can get alongside and we hope that this is possible. We have provided all the specifications of that facility, the depth, the width, the conditions and we will ensure that the tanker would be able to fill the storage tanks on that site so that we can have an additional storage facility which will double what we already have for gasoline,” Dr. Henderson explained.
He said this means that once the government is provided with adequate supplies in those storage tanks there will be gasoline on island that could last for at least four weeks.
“If we are able to double our storage capacity for gasoline on island it means that we will have adequate supply for a longer period of time and we will refill periodically to ensure that we always have adequate supply of gasoline on island,” he explained.
Additionally, Dr. Henderson said Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit has already committed to investing in another 20,000 storage tanks at the facility in Jimmit
“We expect to pursue that in the New Year to ensure that more than adequate supplies of gasoline [are] on island at any given time,” he stated.
He continued, “And we will create a strategic reserve of gasoline as we have with diesel to ensure that we never have the issue of low levels of gasoline that led to the long lines that we saw last week.”
Meantime, his advice to motor vehicle owners is to conserve.
“We have adequate supply but we want to encourage people to conserve,” Dr. Henderson advised.
Henderson, since you are not allowed to tell the truth in this matter, let me tell the people of DA what’s going on.
It is said that “A scapegoat remains effective as long as we believe in its guilt” With all that is happening in Dominica at this point does anyone believe that the so called “tidal surge or what is now trending “the Swell “is responsible for the embarrassing gas shortages in Dominica?
There is no doubt that the embarrassing gas shortage is the result of the Skerrit DLP maladministration and the crippling economic crisis that the administration has created in Dominica. (If you don’t believe me ask Yvor Nassief)
Verily, it is no secret that the Rubis Company who was responsible for importing and storing 50-60 % of the imported gas on island have had to terminate it’s operation in Dominica after years of sustained losses. One may ask how Rubis cannot make money when gas sells. The truth is government strong-arm tactics allow the government to make all the money.
Hello and good afternoon my people. Well Mr Henderson my two sisters came from Maryland to Dominica for two weeks and they rented a vehicle at the airport which came with a half a tank of gas. They drove the vehicle for one day but they had to return the vehicle because they couldn’t get gas. So why are your telling our people there isn’t any gas shortage when my sister are telling me they cannot get gas for their rental vehicle. I have my tickets to come home for carnival so please get your act together otherwise I will go to Trinidad.
Henderson not sure about alot. Is there someone who knows realistically what’s going on? Opposition? Anyone??
Did the ship promised for the 27th arrive. ?? Checked our maritime site and could see no sign of it.
Assuming that the 10,000 barrels of storage space that is being prepared at DCP refers to existing tanks, I hope the tanks have been cleaned of any residule from previous contents.
No fuel is bad enough, but contaminated fuel is far worse.
As i type, there is no shortage of gas, i am presently in a gas station alone ., come get gas, if you need.
You have a slightly different problem. Serious lack of grey mass between your two ears. Keep on regurgitating your masters cheap propaganda.
Of course there is no gas shortage. People were queuing up at the gas stations for bottled water. Shut up Henderson!
Look at how my people look as helpless as those I saw lately in Mogadishu and Petion-Ville
Up to the minute the earth in Dominica will be dividing under the feet of Roosevelt, and lairs such as Henderson, and they are falling into the pit of fire to be burned forever they will continue to lie impressing the blind supporters that the ground is solid under their feet even when they are floating in hell where they are burning and cannot be consumed by the fire.
This guy is such an ignorant puppet he believes that by lying talking fart that there is no shortage of gasoline in the country even if everybody knows there’s a shortage, his lie will take precedence over the truth.
Henderson, is just another delusional corrupted liar, these scum’s of the earth people have no shame.
The arrival of one Tanker of fuel is not enough to last for thirty-one days: one month!
So according to the minister the over decade year old geothermal project is progressing “quicker than expected” and there is “no gas shortage” despite continuous lines for gas and stations practically rationing gas to be able to supply everyone.
I would say they think dominican people are stupid but there is clearly a large portion of the population that voted for them so they would be right in thinking that
What will it take?
Vince, honestly I don’t understand why you have to act as Skerrit’s messenger boy so. You had a very important, cushy position as our ambassador in the U.S. and now you you carrying the can for Skerrit in a little backwater like Dominica. I just don’t understand it. When people say they can not find gasoline that is exactly what it is.
No conspiracy by anyone. West Indies Oil supposed to be our supplier of choice but they not delivering till they see the colour of our money I guess and you can no longer take discount fuel from Venezuela and sell it at retail price dictated by Govt. and not pay them the money we owe them controlled by Skerrit in person ?They still waiting for the money we owed them under the Chavez deal. What happen to al that loot then Vince. I don’t see you have it, do you. That old pal Roosevelt just throw you a dry bone Vince. Happy gnawing to you.
Maybe I’m a simpleton but if there is no shortage then why have 3 shipments instead of your reg shipment… just curious… smh
Because half of the storage capacity went with Rubis. Guess who told Rubis to go…? The same man that told Ross to go. All you get it now?
This is a blatant lie. The next vessel is expected on the8th or 9th of January 2023 and WIOC is negotiating to get product from that vessel. Put that in your pipe and smoke it.
What an idiot. The only people saying ‘there is no gas’ are the station attendants. Why? Because there’s no gas! This guy really has his finger on the pulse, right? I guess no gas is never a problem for him so he has no idea what’s happening with the rest of us. Labour ka twavail my foot.
Where are the government going to put 20,000 gas storage tanks at Jimmit. You would have to demolish the whole village to put up that many storage tanks!
Vince there is also no shortage of water in the rivers in Dominica however people who don’t have water in the pipes in there homes are feeling a shortage of water. You come with your intellectual dishonest statement and make a fool of yourself. Vehicle owners want there to be fuel in the tanks at the gas stations when they pull up to buy gasoline. You admit that tanks at petrol stations are empty and citizens can’t find fuel to buy. The world has a lot of food being wasted especially in developed countries yet there is hunger and famine in many other places. As minister of energy your job is to find out why there is a problem with the distribution of the fuel brought in to the country and address the bottlenecks rather than sounding like a fool, uttering nonsense. Dominica is really a government run market system so what has happened to the private sector and it’s role in free enterprises? Former communist countries are changing to become more capitalist.
I recall the New Chronicle had a series of photographs depicting P.J. first standing, then bending and finally falling to the floor back in the 1970s. This is the same state of the current Dominica Labor Party. When a government is unable to provide basic functions to the citizenry, it is time to pack up and leave. It’s only a matter of time before, there’s a “Vote of No Confidence,” against this slackness and foolishness. Reading your response alone tells the entire story, but when you’re talking to low information voters who do not read and write very well nor consume updated information, it’s quite easy to lie in their faces and force them to unwittingly accept it. This game will end brutally for you Vince. Trust and believe that there is a “Day of Reckoning” on its way for your and that Slackness Labor Party.
(1) We have ample supply of gasoline TO LAST A DEW DAYS.
(2) A ship was expected BUT IT WAS DELAYED.
(3) We ask people TO CONSERVE.
In light of the 3 conditions the minister stated, he is asking people to “trust us, everything is under control”.
Is this guy serious? If I were a motorist in Dominica, I would fill every pot, saucepan and teacup with gas. Unless and until they can win back the trust of the people by demonstrating their competence over a sustained period, I would not trust anything these guys say.
Vince, the long lines mean that whenever consumers believe that there will be a shortage and based on recent shortages, they will que up and purchase all the gasoline that they can find. Stating that there is only a few days supply left, indicates that there’s a shortage. Along with Roosevelt, you two managed to screw up simple gasoline supply on the island. You should make the honorable choice and simply resign. Your leadership is a total disgrace to a once proud people. How you sleep at night, only God knows. Resign!!
Roosevelt and his flock flock to DBS and Kairi to lay their rotten eggs of lies and deceit. Each day the cleavage of TRUST between the government and the people grows exponentially wider.
People, trust your experience with this cabal not their words.
“No gas shortage”, Exactly what they say right before a shortage lol
This shows that the people have no confidence in you all LIARS…You and Skerrit have fed the masses with so many blatant LIES, that even when what you are spewing is the truth, 99% of the public construe it as a LIE.
Skerrit is using you, shameless Vince, as a conduit to lie to Dominicans. You are just as evil as he is, no wonder KARMA has started to manifest itself upon you, because the last time i saw you brother, you were just a shadow of the Vince i knew..The tears of poor, unemployed, hopeless and abused Dominicans are all upon your shoulders, and trust me, its eating you all up!! Send Walters to tell us about high sea swells!! LIARS!
WICKED!!
Meme, you and your cabal are disappointed that there is no shortage of gas at this time, I wonder why.
Yes.. this definitely sounds like someone who is disappointed because there is “no shortage of gas on the island”. He is very upset because gas is available with no hassle at the pumps. The things some of you come up with to defend these government officials who don’t give a sh*t about us is shameless.. no wonder they continue to calmly and consistently lie to us.. because there’s always that one jackass to take what they say and preach it like it is gospel.. idiot
Today may have gasoline ⛽️ and tomorrow there may be none.
Remember the minister said do not waste your gasoline. Conserve…. park your vehicle home..