00:00The president of the Owner Dealers Association, Rival Chattagoon, is calling for greater protection for jobs in the gas station
00:07sector.
00:08Chattagoon says the gas station dealers operate on a fixed commission per litre, regardless of the price of fuel.
00:14The gas station industry, while we sell fuel to the state, we are really a revenue collector.
00:21And that is the main concern, right?
00:24So because, as I said before, our profits are just commissions per litre.
00:29And this is regulated by the government.
00:32So if the price of gas today is $1, we make $0.10 per litre.
00:37If it's $100, we still make $0.10 on that litre.
00:42He is therefore calling for a taxation model similar to that used in other commission-based industries.
00:48There are precedents set where taxation is collected or paid on commission.
00:56NLCB, who I believe they make about 9%, that is their commissions, right?
01:02Our commission lies at 4%, 4.5%, 5% at most, right?
01:07They pay on commissions.
01:08Insurance make about 20% on commissions on your premium.
01:13They pay on commissions.
01:15Travel agency, I'm not sure what the figures are, but they pay on commissions.
01:18He warns that if the current taxation system remains in place, more gas stations could face difficulty staying operational.
01:26He says the impact would extend beyond the owners themselves affecting employees, suppliers and other businesses that support the industry.
01:34You're seeing people closing down.
01:36You're seeing more self-serve rather than, I mean, as a trend, out on Tobago is a population, I like
01:43to mingle with people, I like to see people.
01:45Do you see people in gas stations?
01:47As in people with attendants?
01:50There are a few of us still have it.
01:51But are we moving from that less impersonal sort of relation?
01:58Because Iramba gas station is not an ecosystem by itself.
02:03We have employees, we have suppliers, we have customers, we have support staff, equipment and so forth.
02:10The association has since launched a petition calling for a change in the taxation method.
02:16Chattagun says more than 900 signatures have been collected so far.
02:20And the association is hoping to meet soon with either the Minister of Finance or the Minister of Energy to
02:26discuss its concerns.
02:27Shalakisto, TV6 News.
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