Senior Reporter
otto.carrington@cnc3.co.tt
The National Petroleum Company of Trinidad and Tobago (NP) has acknowledged that some of its gas stations are not profitable.
During a media conference at the Marriott Hotel, Invaders Bay, yesterday, NP chairman Sahid Hosein said operating these stations in rural communities was more of a corporate social responsibility for the company.
Hosein said NP had 117 service stations, of which 65 did not make a profit for the company. These are located in areas such as Moruga, Toco and Mayaro.
However, he justified keeping the stations open as more of an act of compassion.
“We want a station in a village that has just 40 people. Now, as any business operates, you need a clientele that can cover the cost of running that business. That’s why I said these stations aren’t profitable, but at the end of the day, we have a responsibility to the public. Maybe back when the multinationals were in charge, the profit margins made it sensible to operate those stations,” he said.
“However, people have become accustomed to these services. I’ve always said, if someone doesn’t have something, it’s not an issue. But if they have it and you try to take it away, it becomes a literal war. More importantly, we have a social responsibility to ensure that these communities continue to be serviced, and we’re committed to that.”
Hosein also denied claims made by the OWTU in a letter to the Minister of Energy and Energy Industries on July 30.
The union claimed the state company rehired the HR manager after allegations of misconduct in office.
Hosein emphasised that the investigation process was thoroughly conducted, and the manager was cleared of any wrongdoing.
He also said there was no familial relationship between him and the manager in question, stating they merely shared the same surname.