KINGSTON, Jamaica — Opposition Spokesman on Energy Phillip Paulwell has called on the Government to impose a ceiling on oil prices, arguing that Jamaicans need protection from steadily increasing fuel costs linked to global tensions.

Paulwell made the remarks on Sunday while addressing the Springfield Annual Divisional Conference at Vauxhall High School.

The conference was hosted by councillor and Deputy Mayor at KSAMC, Lorraine Dobson, and featured presentations from guest speaker Dr Alfred Dawes and Andrew Swaby.

Speaking during the event, Paulwell expressed concern over the continued rise in fuel prices following heightened tensions involving the United States and Iran.

“Every Thursday, you see the price of fuel going up and up and up,” he said, while questioning whether the Government was allowing the increases to become a financial burden on consumers.

Paulwell also accused the Government of attempting to profit from the global oil crisis rather than shielding Jamaicans from its effects.

The opposition spokesman further criticised the administration’s handling of the state-owned oil refinery, Petrojam, claiming the company has suffered billions of dollars in losses because of poor management and a failure to modernise its operations.

According to Paulwell, Petrojam recorded losses of approximately J$4 billion in the 2023/24 financial year and another J$4 billion the following year, with additional losses projected this year.

“It has to do with an inefficient government that has mismanaged Petrojam,” he said.

Paulwell argued that Petrojam remains critical to Jamaica’s energy security because it allows crude oil to be refined locally into various petroleum products, reducing the country’s dependence on imported finished fuel.

He said previous plans to expand and upgrade the refinery had not been implemented by the current administration, contributing to inefficiencies and increased imports.

Paulwell also pointed to a previous proposal involving Venezuela, under which a 49 per cent stake in the refinery would have been offered in exchange for investment to expand and modernise Petrojam’s facilities.

He contended that the Government had weakened relations with Venezuela and failed to pursue long-term energy solutions for the country.

Paulwell said the Government’s recently announced US$15 million investment in Petrojam was insufficient and called for significantly greater investment to ensure the refinery remains competitive and sustainable.

Despite his criticism of the energy sector, Paulwell told attendees that health issues were his main focus during the remainder of his presentation at the conference.