Prime Minister Gaston Browne has renewed his call for banks to reduce credit card merchant fees charged to gas station operators, amid a dispute over dealer margins that has disrupted fuel sales in Antigua.

“On behalf of the gas station dealers, I publicly appeal once again, to the banks to reduce their credit card merchant fees,” Browne wrote on Facebook.

His appeal comes after several major service stations closed their pumps Wednesday as operators pressed for higher margins on fuel sales. The shutdown sent hundreds of motorists searching for gasoline, creating lengthy queues and traffic congestion around stations that remained open.

Browne said the permanent increase sought by dealers must be scientifically determined rather than introduced arbitrarily. He warned that an adjustment could create inflationary pressures that undermine economic growth and development.

In another post, he argued that domestic stability, including price stability, must be maintained during a period of global shocks.

“No person, or group of persons should seek to elevate their personal interest above the national interest,” he wrote.

The prime minister also announced that the SSU had been deployed to protect gas stations continuing to serve motorists.

“A warning to the bandits,” Browne wrote. “We have deployed the SSU to provide security coverage for the gas stations that remain opened.”

This article was originally published by Antigua News Room. Read the original article here: PM Again Urges Banks to Cut Credit Card Fees for Antigua and Barbuda Gas Dealers.