GRTU Petrol Station owners meet on Tuesday evening to take a secret vote on whether to proceed with industrial action in protest against the exceptional delay by Government authorities in deciding on the claims presented by GRTU on their behalf.
GRTU Petrol Owners buy fuel for resale to customers and users at a price imposed by Enemalta corporation. The price to consumers is established by the Malta Resources Authority (MRA). The MRA also imposes heavy costs and is trying to impose a devaluation on the value of the operating licence of each Petrol Station. GRTU insists that since it is not a free market and that the price to the consumer is not freely established but imposed by Government through the MRA the profit margin of petrol station owners is effectively Government imposed as both Enemalta Corporation and MRA belong to the Maltese Government.
GRTU accepted Government's proposal to appoint independent auditors to review the cost structure so that Government can decide what is the correct wholesale price that Enemalta should impose and what is the correct price that MRA should approve as maximum selling price to customers and users.
GRTU in no way imposes or determines and price or profit margins. Petrol Stations establish at what price and applicable conditions like credit or if any trade discounts as long as they do not surpass the maximum price imposed by the MRA. A final meeting is being held at the Ministry for Finance on Wednesday 30th March.
GRTU expects that good-will from all parties will avoid a worsening of this long protracted dispute.