Make Petrojam more competitive, says Paulwell

Opposition Spokesperson on Energy Phillip Paulwell has warned that the State-owned oil refinery, Petrojam, may be relegated to a port for imports as other competitors with access to cheaper sources of fuel could put them out of business.

He urged the Government to take decisive action on the future of Petrojam this fiscal year, noting that the staff at the refinery has been given baskets to carry water.

In his contribution to the Sectoral Debate in Parliament Tuesday afternoon, Paulwell reminded the Government that five years after the tabling of the Zacca Report on the Petrojam oil refinery in Parliament no concrete steps have been made to implement its recommendations.

Paulwell said that while he did not support all the recommendations in the Zacca Report, he felt the House should have debated the report in Parliament.

“From the time we were told that the Zacca Report is with Cabinet I truly believe that cannot be so,” said the opposition spokesperson.

He said that Petrojam has served Jamaica well and the country had never run out of fuel supplies “and we should continue to pay tribute to the management and staff, the overwhelming majority of whom have been decent, loyal, and professional in their functions at the company. Respect is due! But we must not give them baskets to carry water”.

In May 2022, Energy Minister Daryl Vaz said that the Zacca Report, which recommended the privatisation of Petrojam's refinery and terminal, was still before the Cabinet for deliberations.

“While recommendations concerning the privatisation and future of the refinery are still before the Cabinet for deliberations, those which concern the refinery's operational efficiency have not been stymied,” Vaz declared at the time.

- Edmond Campbell

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