Fuel price activists back new terminal
Fuel terminal at Jackson Point
(CNS): The group of activists campaigning for reduced gas prices have switched their attention from the allegations of inflated pump prices to backing a new larger fuel storage and transshipment terminal on Grand Cayman as a solution to the overly high prices, which they say are still not falling to a fair rate. The committee, known as ‘Cayman Is Fed Up With High Gas Prices’, said it has been in talks with Navasota Energy of Texas, a company that the government signed an MOU with last year but which it has since distanced itself.
Although Planning Minister Kurt Tibbetts has previously raised the possibility of the development of another larger fuel terminal in East End, he appeared to back off the idea earlier this year. This was after correspondence emerged showing that Chris Pope, the purchasing and logistics manager for Dart and the managing partner in ABS Ltd, was seeking to “muscle in” on the proposed project, offering to help Navasota lobby the East End community and manipulate government into agreeing to a sole party bid for the terminal.
During parliamentary questions MLA Arden McLean asked Tibbetts for an update on the facility proposal and Tibbetts said the proposal was not a priority for government.
However, it appears that George Ebanks, who heads the committee, is now backing the project and lobbying government to begin a request for proposals.
While Ebanks was able to garner massive support for a cut in pump prices, he may find this campaign a little harder as the people in East End have raised their concerns about an oil terminal in their district and environmentalists are pushing hard for Cayman to reduce its dependency on fossil fuels and look at sustainable alternative energy sources.
Nevertheless, the activists believe that Cayman will not get a fair pump price unless it can import and store more oil to access price cuts. Ebanks said that if the project goes ahead, Navasota wants to build a facility that is many times the capacity of the existing terminal at Jackson Point.
“This will have the dual effect of allowing for large ships to come to Grand Cayman and produce competitive fuel prices since fuel … will be at world prices and suppliers can bid a stream to supply Cayman through existing marketing and distribution channels,” he said.
Full press release – Long-term solution to gas prices December 2015
Category: Local News
PPM/ UDP is doesn’t matter! They will all have their downs that the next one coming in always have to try to fix. You won’t every be completely happy with any of them. Stop complaining about gas prices and complain about the cost of living! Almost every single item sold in the supermarkets are duty free. Complain about every 3-6 month the fast food places and restaurants are raising there prices. Complain about the wholesalers that sell meat rip you off charging for the pound and it’s always give you half a pound less. Complain about most the banks practically forcing you to open an account with them just to cash a cheque and charging you to cash a cheque. Complain about why there has yet to be light poles on the east west highway/road. Complain about our flag carrier kills you with prices to fly away. Complain about the 0.3% or 1% pay increase you may get at the end of the year and the insurance increases to 3% yearly with the same or less coverage. I’m a full blown Caymanian and it’s sad to say. Cayman is driving them self into the ground…….it’s not a place for your future or youths!
To heart broken Caymanian, I agree with you, but can you show how concern you are and join up with a group that wants to do something. Not just talk.
If everyone is so concerned as to whether its the gas station operators or the wholesale suppliers (or both) that are making obscene profits, here’s an idea. Ask Ossie Bodden what he pays the wholesaler a gallon. CIG already knows what the wholesalers on island the gallon for. Add in a 75 cents duty factor and we can work out whose making the profit, and how much. And we know how much fuel is brought in each year too. CIG already has all this info, just need to pull it together. Unless Mr Bodden doesn’t want to tell, of course. Of course, if its the retailers raping the consumer then all the fuel tanks in the world are not going to change the outcome. And if its the wholesalers, well, its going to take a hell of a lot of dollars per gallon to pay for a new fuel storage depot, putting to one side the environmental issues or the costs of tanking the fuel in from East End. Something tells me CIG doesn’t really want to know the answer, and given his latest enthusiasm for a new fuel depot as opposed to a simple rate cut or price control, not sure Mr Ebanks does either.
When Ebanks started with all this I posted that it seems to me he may be looking support for a run at Political Office soon.
He sure has chosen an issue where many voters who don’t want to understand economies of scale will join his band wagon.
I’m not saying that fuel cost couldn’t be lower (that’s a given) but the truth is that CIG already has the info and means to make public said info (at least very close estimates) and if CIG really wanted change here they can do so.
Begin with asking Ozzie….like you said!
Nobody fed up with the Dump?
Backwoods morons, not a hope in hell, in your wildest pipe dreams describes who wants it and what feasibility this proposed bulk fuel terminal has in these islands.
Not only is the business case a farce but the intended location brings with it more environmental controversy than the recent cruise port and dump debacles put together.
Makes you wonder if some of these same people are similar to the “hipocristians” here, they worship all things “green”, “sustainable” and “environmentally friendly” but own a gas guzzler and or several cars per family. They want it both ways but fail to recognize and accept the inherent economics of commerce associated with miniscule island states.
If people would understand that you need to do the suffering to win. Drive with a friend pay half the gas bill. Take the bus, thats how you win. But you all make so much money you can’t be inconvenienced .
Bus service sucks!
Yes; those ‘activists’ have really confirmed now how little they understand about the fuel industry and in particular the retail market here in Cayman.
Everyone wants cheaper prices; they’re making noise but not with a real understanding of how to get what they want.
Precisely..talk of ‘transshipment’ using Cayman as a transshipment storage facility is pure fantasy, especially when fuel transport transshipment is now done on the high seas between ships, thereby negating the need for a land based terminal & the negative costs incurred
ok smart pants you tell us how to get what we want!
Start drilling!
Stop CIG wasting money. Can start with cutting “seamans” grants to those that are not qualified, asking Cayman Airways to actually break even, removing the water park activities at the turtle farm that cost a fortune and have it just be a farm again, have civil servants co pay their healthcare, stop the gas boy fraud, stop spending on consultants reports that simply tell you what you want to hear or repeat the previous 20 reports so you can avoid making a decision…. Use the money saved to revoke the fuel duty they imposed., Bingo – 75 cents a gallon off. The government raises over $600m a year in tax more than $10K for every man, woman and child on the island, and you wonder why the cost of living is so high?
OK. Allow foreign owners of gas stations to enter the market. Increase competition, decrease scope for oligopolistic profits, prices at the pump fall 10-20%.
And “Just Watching” being the helpful soul he is will share what we need to know with us, otherwise his comment would be absolutely pointless and frankly idiotic.
We marl road talk a ppm member is looking to develop a gas station on the new east west arterial bypass, bracka
More competition should bring down price but after all this Cayman=home of crooked people.
Treason!!!
everyday, wake up and ask yourself what have the ppm done to tackle the issues that face cayman?……..dump?….immigration?….cost of living.?… port?….fuel prices?…caymanian unemployment?…etc…..
They don’t have time for those things! They gotta have a $300,000,000 dock!
And what did you do to sort these issues 1.06?
“While Ebanks was able to garner massive support for a cut in pump”.
If I recall there was like 30 people who showed up at the rally!
and whats your point 9;19? you got any positive contribution?
28. Two turned up by accident as they saw the group and thought crack was being sold.
We did get over 13000 actual signatures!..what have YOU done lately???!!?,
I considered the price of gas given that Cayman was an island, I looked into how much other developed countries paid for gas and realised that the price was not that high unless your only point of reference was the US, which would be stupid. I factored in that pump prices, like everything in Cayman, are too high because of the lack of competition and Government sanctioned local oligopolies and that allowing foreign investment and competition would be the easiest way to reduce prices but it is not going to happen. Then I thought well no-one has to any long distances in such a small place. And after all that my tank was full, I paid and got on with my life, because it was not that big a deal. I did sign your petition though, because the woman ahead of me in the queue was cute.
Too right George. Can you do one for more sunshine next. Pretty darn rainy these last few weeks.
cruise ship passengers included? how about tourist?
Absolutely nothing. The reason being is that I cannot vote, I am not allowed and have no interest in running for office as I am barred for reasons of ethnicity and my views will be as wanted as much as same sex unions are in Cayman.
The question is, what have we both achieved?
The same, nothing and probably never will.
Sounds like George cut a deal with the petroleum companies if you ask me
You have any proof of your claim??…perhaps you should…be advised.
George, what happened to plan A? It really does look like you are looking to make some money on this deal.
Idiocy
CaymanKind
Idiocy.
Memory might be foggy by didn’t the PPM campaign against Imperato’s port and bulk fuel storage depot in East End back in 2010? Anybody else remember the Lover’s Wall demonstration or did I imagine that?
Maybe it’s just me but why is every idea or project the PPM objected to when on the opposition benches now a worth while project for Kurt, Moses and Alden now that they are in power?
And what is your point ?
This initative has nothing to do with the Imperato proposal. This proposal will have full transparency with full backing of the people of EE.
First class proposal with even the water lense taken into account.
“taken into account…” – what, like the coral in the harbour?
Oh Lord. How did this group get hijacked by Navisota? How exactly is another terminal going to help prices in a place where price-fixing cartels are not illegal? Just adding another member to the cartel (while giving a sweet government contract to someone.)
And why not.. another source of fuel? arent you one that supports free enterprize? let them in, everyone else has come and nothing said.
Read the press release @12:10!!..OUR OWN BULK STORAGE tank..our national security!!…comprende?
The campaign to reduce gas prices has not exactly worked, a few cents here and there, and despite governments words, not a whole lot of action happening there. Somebody told me that when the wall came down in Eastern Europe, corrupt government would make headlines like that and then line their own pockets behind the scenes by doing deals with the offenders that benefitted no one but themselves. To say that here would be treasonous, however silence frequently says more than words ever can.
And what’s the revealence of your story 10;54?
He sayin we got lotta crooks here.
10.54 are you asking about the relevance or the revealance?
If you don’t get it you shouldn’t really type a message.
Gas is cheap. Get over it losers.
Gas prices here are a real rip off @10:44!…and you owe it too!
gas like everything else in cayman is complete rip-off…..hence we have the highest cost of living in the world…..
now ask yourself….what have the ppm done to tackle the issue?
ditto for the last udp ‘administration’……
And how is this paid for With Gas Prices?
My friend came to the island almost 7 years ago to fix the pipeline from the terminal to the airport It leaked went under buildings etc There was plenty of bickering about who would pay for it and there was plenty of people that wanted their cut of the action.
My friend said NO Thank You went back to Florida and said to me he would never do business in Cayman
This would be fantastic if it were to happen. Yes, we all would like to reduce our dependence on fossil fuel, but until electric cars are the norm and everyone can afford to get rid of their own cars to buy an electric one, this is not going to happen for a while. Until then, gas is less then $2.00USD per gallon in the states. Something stinks about that!! The fact that our gas remains over $4KYD per imperial gallon is an overinflated greedy petrol baron at bay in our land.
I don’t know if I’m making any sense but I’m not so good at putting my words together when I’m worked up about something like this.
Indeed 10.18 and the silence from CIG is deafening. Could it possibly be to do with some members of the LA having fuel and Lodge interests? Surely not…say it ain’t so!
The last time gas prices in the US were under $2, the price here was just under or over CI $3. We are being screwed with a limp appendage and we know it. Time to take notice and action GI Gov’t!