Gas distributors were having to wait as long as eight hours outside the Liquigas plant in Qajjenza to be given new  supplies because of a shortage of gas cylinders, the GRTU complained this afternoon.

In a statement issued after many distributors waited most of the day today to be given filled cylinders, the GRTU said the current situation was due to the government's lack of serious preparation for the liberalisation of the market, particularly where it came to the distribution system.

The distributors it said, were wasting precious hours waiting for their supplies because of lack of preparation by the government and the Resources Authority.

It said that whoever was responsible needed to take firm action so that whoever was hoarding cylinders with the clear purpose of harming competition and the distributors would no longer be allowed to abuse. The authorities also needed to ensure that cylinders which were exported from Malta, under one pretext or another, were substituted. 

Liquigas last Saturday called on the authorities to take action against the hoarding of cylinders by rival company Easygas.

It claimed that Easygas was being mainly responsible for a shortage of cylinders on the market because it had been hoarding thousands of Liquigas’ green and yellow cylinders.