The Democratic National Alliance says it welcomes the latest reduction in fuel costs but wants the government to further drop the price at the pump to pre-March 2022 levels.

Antiguans and Barbudans will be paying less for gasoline and diesel from Monday; news that will surely be welcomed by motorists on the island.

The government is passing on savings to consumers, which will see a reduction in gasoline from the current $15:54 to $13:99 per gallon.

The new cost of diesel will be $14.25 per gallon down from $15.79.

But the DNA said in a press statement Sunday, that the reduction is not enough, considering the price of oil on the world market.

“With the cost of a barrel of crude oil hovering over USD$70 for the last few months and also with very low refining costs, the prices at the pump must return pre-March 2022 levels. The DNA welcomes the reduction but calls on the Gaston Browne Administration to do better for the people of Antigua and Barbuda by reducing the price at the pump for gas and diesel to $12.50 and $12.70 respectively as they were before March 2022,” the DNA said.

Further, the DNA calls on the government once again to implement a pass-through pricing mechanism per shipment to ensure greater accountability and transparency to the public.

“Likewise, the DNA continues to call on the Gaston Browne Administration to temporarily reduce the customs duties, RRC and ABST on the freight charges at the port in order to alleviate the skyrocketing cost of living. In addition, the government should include December 23 and 24, 2022 as ABST reduction days,” the statement said.