Gasoline price hike: Court to examine plaint on Feb 11

Manama : A case filed against the sudden decision of gasoline price increase will be examined by the Supreme Administrative Court on February 11, DT News has learnt.

According to Al Ayam daily, the court has set the date to see the complaint lodged by a group of attorneys in Bahrain against the government for implementing the gasoline price hike decision two weeks ago without publishing it in the Official Gazette.

The attorneys announced on January 10, two days after the sudden increase of gasoline prices, that they have complained to the court rejecting the implementation decision, which they said: “Violates Law 52 of 2006 and is against the Kingdom’s constitution”.

They insisted that “no authority has the right to individually take a decision without following the proper legal and constitutional channels”, adding that “the complaint isn’t related to the national economic strategies but is to ensure legal procedures are strictly followed and that no similar actions reappear in the future”.

As reported on DT News on January 9, the National Oil and Gas Authority raised the prices of gasoline in the country without any prior announcements. The price of Jayyid fuel (91-octane) was increased to 140fils/litre after it was sold for 125fils/litre and Mumtaz fuel (95-octane) price was also increased from 160fils/litre to 200fils/litre. This is the second time gasoline prices are increased in the Kingdom within two years after a similar decision was implemented in January 2016. ww