Gov’t mulling introduction of competitive gas supplier contract

The government has disclosed that it would “actively consider” introducing contract terms that could lead to greater competition in the gasoline supply industry.

President of the Consumer Council of Macao, Wong Hon Neng, made the disclosure in response to lawmaker Leong Sun Iok’s written inquiry about gasoline prices, dated March 10 this year. The reply is dated April 19.

He noted that in the future, when the government auctions land for use as gasoline stations, explicit pricing mechanisms may be introduced in the contract, as well as terms that may lead to greater competition within the industry.

In addition, he disclosed that the government would also consider requesting that operators import new types of gasoline products or even new gasoline brands to Macau, so as to “[offer] wider choices to consumers.”

Apart from reactively managing gasoline prices by means such as centrally publicizing prices on the Economic and Technological Development Bureau’s (DSEDT) website, the government’s specific taskforce has also regularly met with industry operators, who were told to maintain price and supply stabilities of the commodity.

With regards to the reliability of local gasoline pumps, Wong reiterated that regular spot checks have been conducted to ensure the accuracy of the equipment. Investigations can be set off if irregularities are found.

Wong emphasized that there may be a number of causes of irregularities, with daily wear and tear of equipment being the main reason. Gasoline sellers are reminded to regularly to finetune their pump meters.

In his inquiry, the lawmaker asked the government if it would commence considering the possibility of including consumer gasoline as a public business or enterprise, so that gasoline prices can be put under scrutiny and controlled by the government.

Furthermore, Leong also asked about measures to safeguard consumer rights, as previously many irregularities in gasoline pumps – such as supplying less gasoline than shown on the meter – had been found.