The Democratic Labour Party (DLP) is calling on Government to give full disclosure of the previous and current arrangements by which it purchases crude oil on the world market.
Opposition spokesperson on energy, Senator Ryan Walters, is charging that rather than pass on savings to the people when the international price of oil fell, Government opted to freeze the price for more than a year.
“Despite falling global oil prices, the Government of Barbados has chosen to maintain inflated fuel prices that continue to line the state’s coffers,” he said in a statement to the DAILY NATION.
“The cost of living in Barbados continues to spiral out of control, with high fuel prices at the centre of the storm, placing enormous burden on citizens who cry out daily for economic relief.
“The Democratic Labour Party is calling on the Minister to share with the public the previous and current arrangements for the purchase of fuel, stating clearly what prohibited the Government from reducing the price to consumers in line with global declines. We also ask the Minister to give an account for every cent of fuel tax revenue collected since 2018.”
He was responding to an advertisement from the Ministry of Energy in the last SUNDAY SUN which stated Government will make monthly adjustments to the prices of gasoline, diesel and liquid petroleum gas, commencing this month through March 2026. The date for each month was also announced as well as explanations on how the prices were calculated and the factors that influenced the price at the pump.
When contacted, Minister of Energy, Senator Lisa Cummins, said it was on her directive that the process was publicised.
“It is unfortunate that the Democratic Labour Party, that Senator Walters, chooses every month to politicise a process that is as old as time and spans all administrations. The Ministry has chosen to publish in advance the date on which the monthly adjustments are made,” she said via telephone.
Cummins added that they have gone further than any previous administration in explaining the process.
“We took the time to have our technical teams share the details of how prices are calculated so that Barbadians understand
that it’s just not the international prices that are calculated.”
Walters pointed to the last two annual reports of the Barbados National Oil Co Ltd which showed the price of Brent crude oil falling globally between April 2024 and March 2025, but the price at the pump remained static in Barbados.
He said with the fuel tax replacing road tax in 2018, Barbadians have been paying more when they fill up, but Government has been borrowing “millions of dollars to repair, maintain and sometimes patch roads”. He said people were being taxed twice – at the pump and then through interest payments on the loans.
Walters, who has been relentless in calling for transparency on the fuel prices, queried where the money being borrowed to fix the road was being spent.
Cummins said the process was transparent with the tenders being published in the newspapers and done through the Government’s procurement portal Bonfire.
Walters said Barbadians deserved a Government that was not profiting from the pain of its citizens.
“This continuous increase in fuel cost is not just a numbers game, it hits the average citizen hard. From workers clearing highways using weed whackers, to delivery drivers, to households and big business, everyone is paying more. These high fuel prices are not isolated as they ripple through the economy, increasing the cost of goods, services and basic transportation,” he charged. (SAT)
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