Dear Editor, Is the government charging tariffs on imported gas?

The price went up just before Christmas (from $59 per 13kg bottle) to $70.20. Then it went down to $62.70 in February and it has now gone back up to $73 (just before Easter and the school holidays)! What is the justification for a 16 percent increase? When was the last price order issued?

Now I probably won’t be qualified enough to sit on the Price Tribunal. Nor would I be competent enough to give financial advice to the Donald Trump administration.

But here’s what I think is going to happen re gas prices on Rarotonga this year.

Prices will go down in May. They will go up again in July (just before Te Maeva Nui and school holidays). The price will come down in September and it will then go up again in November – before Christmas/New Year.

I am sure that the suppliers will come with some excuse like the US tariffs if the above does not eventuate (or the price keeps going up)!

I guess that is why people don’t complain. They realise (as well as the businesses and suppliers) that you either buy what’s there or you go without.

Government is going to get into shipping. Maybe it needs to get into importing gas as well.

Moana Moeka’a,

Ruatonga.