By Devon Evans, Gleaner WriterRUNAWAY BAY, St. Ann:
A NEW code of conduct to govern operations in the petroleum trade, along with new amendments to the Weights and Measurements Regulations will come into effect on October 30 this year.
This was disclosed by Phillip Paulwell, Minister of Commerce, Science and Technology, while speaking at the 53rd annual general meeting of the Jamaica Gasoline Retailers Association (JGRA), at the Franklyn D. Resort in Runaway Bay, St. Ann earllier this week.
Mr. Paulwell said the relationship between the gasoline marketing companies and retailers have been strained over the years as a result of what retailers see as unfair practices by the marketing companies and that the new ethics and practices will be geared towards achieving reasonableness within the trade.
He said the Fair Trading Commission had been mandated to assist the Ministry in drafting new rules. The aim is better policing of the sector.
"It has been a very slow process but I am very pleased that I receive recently, a copy of the proposed draft, and we should see it in that light, because I know that there will be issues raised even now by both sides," Paulwell said.
"We are going to be calling a meeting sometime this coming week to look at those responses that we have got so far and to invite the Fair Trading Commission to look at them to sign off on them. But, so help me, I want by the end of this month to have a Code of Conduct in place so we can move on", the Minister said.
Referring to amendments to the weights and measurement regulations to ensure the correct amount of fuel is being distributed to and by retailers islandwide, the Minister said he had already signed off on the document and that it is now left to the Bureau of Standards to have them properly gazetted. This should be completed within the next two weeks.
The new regulation will, among other things, set out useful definition of terms relating to the measurement of motor fuels. It will specify the physical and chemical properties of motor fuel, provide methods of determining the accuracy of the devices and the receptacles used in the measurement of fuels.
Devon Evans
Gleaner Writer
RUNAWAY BAY, St. Ann:
A NEW code of conduct to govern operations in the petroleum trade, along with new amendments to the Weights and Measurements Regulations will come into effect on October 30 this year.
This was disclosed by Phillip Paulwell, Minister of Commerce, Science and Technology, while speaking at the 53rd annual general meeting of the Jamaica Gasoline Retailers Association (JGRA), at the Franklyn D. Resort in Runaway Bay, St. Ann earllier this week.
Mr. Paulwell said the relationship between the gasolene marketing companies and retailers has been strained over the years as a result of what retailers see as unfair practices by the marketing companies, and that the new ethics and practices will be geared towards achieving reasonableness within the trade.
He said the Fair Trading Commission had been mandated to assist the Ministry in drafting new rules. The aim is better policing of the sector.
"It has been a very slow process but I am very pleased that I receive recently, a copy of the proposed draft, and we should see it in that light, because I know that there will be issues raised even now by both sides," Mr. Paulwell said.
MEETING TO LOOK AT RESPONSES
"We are going to be calling a meeting some time this coming week to look at those responses that we have got so far and to invite the Fair Trading Commission to look at them to sign off on them. But, so help me, I want by the end of this month to have a Code of Conduct in place so we can move on," the Minister said.
Referring to amendments to the weights and measurement regulations to ensure that the correct amount of fuel is being distributed to and by retailers islandwide, the Minister said he had already signed off on the document and that it is now left to the Bureau of Standards to have them properly gazetted. This should be completed within the next two weeks.
The new regulation will, among other things, set out useful definition of terms relating to the measurement of motor fuels. It will specify the physical and chemical properties of motor fuel, provide methods of determining the accuracy of the devices and the receptacles used in the measurement of fuels.
