Petrojam has been directed to ensure consumers affected by contaminated gas in 2015 receive compensation totalling $24.5 million.
Speaking in the House of Representatives Wednesday afternoon, Energy Minister Fayval Williams said the figure is based on information from the Consumer Affairs Commission.
Opposition Spokesman on Energy Phillip Paulwell wanted clarification on whether the government would be taking on full liability or whether gasoline retailers would also be called on to pay.
However, the Energy Minister said she was “not sure”, but added: “I’ve seen documentation that suggests a split of 70-30 (but) we have to get back to the table.”
While she could not give a definitive answer in that regard, she said the ministry is “in full support of payment to be made as per all the work and assessment that has been done.”
Mrs Williams said payment would be made to motorists with verified complaints, who “would have submitted genuine claims with supporting documents within the specified deadline and have been waiting for almost three years for redress.”
PCJ to be closed?
Meanwhile, the Energy Minister faced questions Wednesday afternoon about whether the Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica (PCJ) is to be closed.
The questions came from Opposition Spokesman Phillip Paulwell.
However, Mrs Williams insisted that “no decision has been taken yet.”
Mr. Paulwell continued to press Mrs Williams but she maintained her stance, pointing out: “The Government of Jamaica has an ongoing rationalisation plan of public bodies. It is incumbent upon the government to continually look at its public bodies to decide their usefulness, to make decisions about whether they are taken back into the parent ministry, whether or not they are privatised, whether or not they are closed, and no entity is out of bounds, for that consideration. But at this moment, there is no information that I can bring to the parliament yet on that.”