The government is committed towards a strong regulatory system which guaranteed fair competition to the benefit of consumers, operators, distributors and the government.

In a statement referring to the GRTU’s position taken earlier today regarding the gas situation, the government reiterated that the best solutions were found through dialogue and this was why it had been involved in a number of meetings with all the parties concerned over the past weeks.

The government appealed to all parties concerned not to close the door to dialogue and discussion.

At their annual general meeting this morning, GRTU members encouraged and authorised the council to start mobilising all its sectors to protest together against the government behaviour with gas distributors.

The meeting condemned the government for breaching an agreement reached in 1992 with the GRTU in the gas liberalisation issue and said the way the government behaved in the case was condemnable and damaging.

The 1992 agreement gives distributors exclusivity over distribution in zones across the islands.

Now that new supplier Easygas has entered the market, it was selling its gas from fixed points in breach of that exclusivity, the distributors are claiming.