The public should not pay any increases in mini-bus fares since the price of gasoline is below $1000 per gallon, Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, Manniram Prashad says.
The Government Information Agency (GINA) in a press release yesterday quoted the minister as stating that following a series of meetings last week with the General Mini-Bus Association and the Guyana Public and Transportation Association, it was agreed that once the price of gasoline remains below the $1000 per gallon, there would be no price increases. The meetings were to discuss the proposed price increase of 25%.
GINA said that to ensure that there would be no price increases; over the last 18 months government has been putting measures in place to absorb the price increase for gasoline. “We have now zero-rated diesel…the excise tax on gasoline has come down to 17 percent”, the release quoted him as commenting at a press briefing yesterday. The release stated that the price of gasoline has remained below $1000 and mini-bus owners, who have increased their rates of transportation, have been asked to appreciate government’s efforts to keep the price of gasoline down.
Prashad also said that to cushion the impact of increasing fuel prices on mini-bus owners, an intervention was made at the Bureau of Standards regarding the proposed ban on used tyres. He said that it had been acknowledged that a large amount of minibus owners cannot afford to buy new tyres because of the cost.
It was also noted that last week’s meetings addressed mini-bus owners’ concern over the reintroduction of the big bus system. Prashad said that the owners were assured that this initiative is not being contemplated since the Ministry is cognizant of the fact that tit will affect the livelihood of some mini-bus owners.
The tourism minister said that the ministry and the mini-bus association continue to have a good working relationship and mini-bus owners who ply the Linden and Berbice route, where there have been increases in transportation rates are encouraged to meet Prashad.
“Consumers continue to be reminded that they should not be pressured by mini-bus operators to pay transportation rates increases because this is not the official consensus of the mini-bus association”, the release added.
