NP: No $600m allocation but we still upgraded gas stations

THE National Petroleum Marketing Company Ltd (NP) on Wednesday responded to a claim from Petroleum Dealers Association (PDA) president Robin Narayansingh that it received a total of $600 million from Government through the Public Sector Investment Programme (PSIP) but did nothing to upgrade or maintain service stations.

In a statement, NP said it has received no PSIP funding since 2013.

The company said notwithstanding this, it has spent over $225 million of its own funds to maintain and upgrade the service station network throughout the country.

NP also said it has met its fiduciary duty to report to the Energy Ministry on all projects.The company said it remains committed to the transformation of the service station network and the modernisation of its assets to serve drivers.

NP said it has different business models in place with the dealers throughout its network in both Trinidad and Tobago.

The company also said it has a responsibility to supply fuel as well as to maintain the forecourts, buildings and equipment of both NP and dealer-owned stations. NP said a station owned by Narayansingh falls within this group.

Over the last five years, NP said, it specifically spent $140 million to maintain or upgrade stations within the service station network.There were full upgrades (including forecourt, pump island, fuel system, building, paving, signage and canopy) to stations in El Socorro, NP Starlite (Diego Martin), Mayaro, Monroe Road, O’Meara' Tumpuna Road, Sangre Grande, St Christophers, Princes Town Orange Grove, Carenage, Preysal, Charleville, Charlotte Street, St. Augustine and Orange Grove.

Full upgrades (new tanks and associated fuelling infrastructure) took place at stations in San Raphael, Guapo, Fyzabad Tabaquite , Penal, Arouca, Cedros, Diego Martin (Moonan), Erin, Vistabella, Princes Town and Mucurapo Road