Here is Channel Seven's interviews on the street today today on the
above mentioned subject natter:
Fill up your fuel tanks tonight because at midnight the price of
premium gas is shooting up 39 cents per gallon across the country. In
the city, drivers will be paying $9.84 for premium gas while a gallon
of regular increases 37 cents to $9.53. Diesel jumps 6 cents to $7.10
and kerosene jumps to $6.25. Government says the price increase is
caused by Hurricane Katrina and a release claims GOB is actually
absorbing half of the actual increase in acquisition costs. So how are
drivers taking this latest increase?

Remember when you would never imagine paying these prices for gas?
Well at midnight these prices at the pumps will soar, surging by as
much as 39 cents. Today at gas stations that was shocking news to some
drivers:

Q: Are you prepared for tomorrow's gas price increase?
Driver #1: I didn't know there was going to be one.
Q: The regular you are buying will go up from $9.16 to $9.53.
Driver #1: I'm sorry, I didn't know.
Q: 37 cents.
Driver #1: Yeah that's a lot.

Q: You're filling up because gas is going up?
Driver #2: I didn't even know gas was going up.
Q: Your gas will be $9.84 tomorrow.
Driver #2: Oh my God well I didn't know.

And then there were those who knew of the increase but were in disbelief.

Driver #3: I am an American and I've just been here a week so like I
was paying four and five dollars a gallon so when I got here and had
to pay $8 I really took it hard.

Driver #4: We Belizeans are feeling because we are paying taxi
drivers, the business people are feeling. Everything is going up and
our pay isn't going up and we are still working under a minimum wage
so what should we do? A revolution has to start in Belize.

Driver #5: No way I'm not prepared my brother. I can only buy $10 worth.

Patrick Faber: I think the government needs to take down the taxes on
the gasoline. We understand the world market prices are going up but
if the government lower the taxes and give people a break, I think
that that would be a good sign that they are acting in good faith and
trying to help the people out here.

But the prevailing sentiment among drivers filling up at gas stations
today was resignation to the fact that they had no choice but to dig
deeper into their pockets to fill their tanks.

Driver #6: We can't do better, we have to buy it. We just have to
economize and not spend over, try not to buy what we don't need.
Q: Are you filling up today to save when the price raises tomorrow?
Driver #6: Exactly that is why I am trying to do: economize and get my
money's worth.

Driver #7: I am not tripping about it man, I have to jump around any which way.
Q: Can you afford it?
Driver #7: Not really but I'll try a 'lil thing.

Driver #3: I have to because I have to drive so I have to. What else
will I do, come fight them? I can't do that.

Driver #8: Everything going up and thing so their going to have to
raise your pay and thing because everything going up so you just have
to work with it.

Driver #9: Will that make much more difference you think?
Q: You tell me because you are a driver. Will 39 cents more make a difference?
Driver #9: It makes a lot of difference in the job I do because I am a
fisherman and when you go out there to get your lobster and fish, when
you come in you can hardly pay your gas bill.
Q: And 39 cents more�
Driver #9: Makes it worse. I am just waiting to see what the Belize
production will be.

But to drivers it's serious business because with these prices Spanish
Lookout may be the only relief in sight.

In Toledo the price has broken the ten dollar barrier as it is $10.04
for the gallon in that district. The last price increase was on
September 2nd. And as always for some perspective, we have to remind
you that at the start of the year a gallon of premium gas was $8.33.