Natural gas price jumps draw wide rebuke as sectors smell “monopoly”

Santo Domingo.- Rising natural gas prices began to concern wider sectors as yesterday, when Dominican Business Federation (FDC) president Ivan de Jesus Garcia accused the local subsidiary of U.S. based company AES of applying unjustified increases, which in his view affect the millions invested in the sector.

Unatrafin transport union leader Arsenio Quevedo also complained of the increases which he affirms now makes the use of natural gas less feasible than propane, with the same cost or even more expensive.

Garcia, who said Dominican companies invested more than US$ 100 million convert to natural gas expecting its price wouldn’t increase over a period of 10 years, accused AES Dominicana of having a monopoly on that fuel, which jeopardizes not only to manufacturers, but several utilities and transport.

Quoted by diariolibre.com, the business leader said the time has come to deal with the monopoly in the marketing of natural gas, citing the Sultana del Este power plant, in San Pedro, which he affirms can’t operate because AES Dominicana opposes the construction of a natural gas pipeline from the Caucedo terminal to San Pedro.

Quevedo said he’ll ask the Industry and Commerce Ministry to revert the price jumps in natural gas, which he affirms affect more than 6,000 public transport vehicles and 52 industries.