MRA tells gas companies to return rivals' cylinders
The Resources Authority has instructed Liquigas and Easygas to declare, within one day, how may gas cylinders belonging to the other company they hold in their possession, and where they are being held. It had also told them to return the empty...
The Resources Authority has instructed Liquigas and Easygas to declare, within one day, how may gas cylinders belonging to the other company they hold in their possession, and where they are being held.
It had also told them to return the empty cylinders, without payment,within five days.
The announcement was made hours after Liquigas said in a statement that it had run out of empty cylinders.
It accused Easygas of hoarding some 6,000 of its cylinders, which amounts to more than the normal daily working stock.
Gas distributors having been waiting as long as eight hours to be given filled gas cylinders as the gas bottling plant in Qajjenza.
In its statement late yesterday, Liquigas (which took over the Enemalta gas operation) said that the authorities' failure to take concrete action with tangible results for the return of Liquigas cylinders being hoarded by Easygas led to the untenable situation where, as from today, gas distributors will not have cylinders to load on their trucks.
"Buying more cylinders is not going to solve anything if the authorities do not stop Easygas from persisting "in its abusive practice", the sole aim of which was to try to cripple Liquigas, the company said.
Easygas had denied causing a supply shortage by hoarding its rival’s cylinders and accused Liquigas of choosing to “whine” to the authorities because it was not coping with market demand.
It said Liquigas was blaming its inadequacy to supply over the fact that Easygas was ‘hoarding’ empty cylinders.