With no gas cylinders available for distribution, empty trucks lined the street near the Liquigas depot in Birżebbuġa for the second day running yesterday, as the resources authority said it was “analysing” the situation.
Liquigas has blamed the shortage on its competitor Easygas for hoarding thousands of its yellow, green and brown cylinders.
The Malta Resources Authority stepped into the picture on Wednesday when it gave the companies one day to declare how many gas cylinders belonging to the other company they had in their possession.
The authority’s chief executive Anthony Rizzo yesterday confirmed that the information had been handed over to the authority but the exercise was not complete.
“The MRA has now extended the exercise to include the distributors. The authority will be analysing the information and will take the appropriate action,” Mr Rizzo said when asked what course of action the regulator was contemplating.
Mr Rizzo did not say how the authority intended to enforce its decision on Wednesday ordering the rival companies to return the empty gas cylinders without payment, in five working days.
Gas distributors gathered outside the depot said 44 trucks were waiting to be loaded with cylinders as they complained of lost income.
Consumers have also been left high and dry as gas distribution has ground to a halt.
Joe Attard, on behalf of the Chamber of Small and Medium Enterprises, GRTU, which is representing the gas distributors, called on the regulator to solve the problems created by liberalisation.
Addressing gas distributors, he said it was incomprehensible how Easygas was allowed to hoard cylinders of its rival company without realising the impact this had on the consumer market.
Mr Attard also questioned whether the regulator had insisted on ensuring security of supply when it issued the licenses to the gas distributors.
“If those responsible at the Malta Resources Authority are incapable or unwilling to take the necessary decisions to untangle the web they created, they should resign,” Mr Attard said.
However, the resources authority has insisted that authorised providers are required to ensure a secure supply of gas. Without specifying the quantities required to secure supply, Mr Rizzo said providers must ensure there is “a continuous availability of LPG and cylinders”.
Authorised wholesalers of LPG, he added, were also obliged to hold a minimum storage capacity equivalent to a one-day amount of supplies in already-filled cylinders.