ENERGY Minister Phillip Paulwell has instructed Petrojam to conduct sample testing of petrol sold at all service stations across the island, starting today, and to report the findings within 24 hours.

Petrojam is to carry out the tests in collaboration with the Bureau of Standards Jamaica (BSJ).

In a release issued late yesterday, the minister’s office said the directive comes after an emergency meeting with marketing companies, service station operators, the BSJ, and the Consumers Affairs Commission (CAC) to address complaints from motorists that sub-standard petrol is being sold at some petrol stations.

The motorists claim that use of poor-quality petrol has caused damage to vehicle engines, particularly those of newer vehicles which have direct injection mechanisms.

Paulwell said, however, that the incidence “appeared not to be widespread”, although he confirmed that at least one major car dealer has reported incidence of engine damage caused by the use of bad petrol. He also said there have been “a few complaints” to the CAC.

“Petrol is very volatile commodity and we must do all we can to protect the integrity of the trade. With respect to the legal importation of petrol, we must ensure its quality from ship to pump, while every effort must be made to stamp out illicit importation of the product,” Paulwell said yesterday.

Meanwhile, as the authorities rush to plug quality control loopholes, state minister for energy Julian Robinson has been assigned to lead a team of regulators and industry stakeholders to carry out further investigations of complaints, and scrutinise the protocols and regulations governing the petroleum trade, including the quality control mechanisms. The junior minister is expected to make recommendations to strengthen monitoring and enforcement.

This report is to be submitted to the minister within a week.