The Jamaica Gasoline Retailers Association, JGRA says it has begun to mobilise resources to defend against, what it calls, the aggression by multi-national oil marketing companies.

In a statement, the J-G-R-A says it is consulting with stakeholders in the petroleum distribution and retail trade to garner support for a unified and sustained effort to resist the imposition of unfair and the “strong-armed” approach of multi-national oil marketing companies operating in Jamaica.

J-G-R-A President, Leonard Green says the thorny issue of contracts has also surfaced again as the multi-national oil marketers, have over the last few weeks, been putting dealers under duress to sign one sided contracts.

Mr Green says the association remains resolute in its commitment to protect the interest of its members and the Jamaican motoring public and will therefore not spare any resource in creating an environment where the issue of foreign direct investment in the petroleum trade synchronises with the national interest.

The J-G-R-A states that for years it has been lobbying for a change in the monopolisation of the local petroleum sector by marketing companies.

There have also been on-going talks involving the J-G-R-A, the marketing companies, and the energy ministry, in a bid to settle the matter of unfair business practices by the multinationals, and gasoline retailers being asked to sign, what the J-G-R-A deems to be, unreasonable contracts.