Petrol station owners are lobbying for a rise in profits of 1c1 per litre of fuel to cover their higher operating costs.

They made their request during a meeting with the Malta Resources Authority yesterday when they presented a report detailing their costs to back up their claim.

Carlo Cini, who heads the petrol station owners’ section within the Chamber for Small and Medium Enterprises – GRTU, said the meeting was a “positive” first step that paved the way for technical meetings to discuss the specifics of their proposal.

Before the meeting, petrol station owners had warned of possible strikes if they did not get a larger profit margin on sales.

Petrol station owners get 5c1 for every litre of fuel sold. This profit margin is revised every three years and an upward increase is generally reflected in the cost of fuel, which is regulated by the MRA. It was last fixed in 2007. They are negotiating a 1c1 increase in this profit margin to cover increased costs with wages and utility bills and further costs they envisage for the next three years.

Just last June, petrol station owners were livid at Enemalta Corporation over a letter informing them about an increase of 1c6 in the wholesale price of fuel, thus squeezing their profit margin. However, this was withdrawn, after they threatened strikes.

Asked about a fund set up jointly between petrol station owners and Enemalta for the upgrading, maintenance and refurbishment of the petrol stations, Mr Cini said the MRA was holding separate talks with the corporation on this issue. The petrol station owners complained that contributions to the fund had been “unilaterally suspended” by Enemalta.