The Ministry of Commerce and Industry is addressing the dangers faced by the Haitian population in relation to the storage of petroleum products in inappropriate places in order to facilitate the clandestine sale in complicity with officials of some gas pumps. The MCI is putting words into action through an inspection visit carried out this Monday, July 16, 2022, in several gas stations in Port-au-Prince where two of them were sealed.
Determined to curb the practice of illegal sale of petroleum products throughout the national territory, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry has launched a major battle against some managers of service stations who engage in this practice. The MCI authorities have indicated that two gas pumps have been sealed and a pump attendant was arrested in an operation conducted this Monday in the metropolitan area of Port-au-Prince.
If we believe the holder of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Ricardin Saint Jean, 10 out of 12 gas stations visited remained closed despite having more than three thousand gallons of fuel. With this revelation, many believe that the owners of the gas stations are showing bad faith by worsening the economic situation of the population, since a gallon of fuel is currently sold at up to 1,000 to 1,500 gourdes on the street. This automatically leads to higher public transportation costs and an increase in the cost of basic foodstuffs.
The illicit sale of fuel not only affects the economic situation of the country, it also constitutes a danger in terms of public security.
In recent months, several houses in Port-au-Prince and in the provincial cities have been burned down because of clandestinely stored petroleum products. Loss of human life and significant material damage are always recorded during these disasters.
