Santos made the statement after Rep. Stanley Torres, R-Saipan, urged Gov. Benigno Fitial to order Commerce to inspect the gas pumps’ computerized system.
Torres said some customers have complained that pre-measured gas containers were not filled to the mark indicated when they gas up.
“Now, at more than $5 per gallon this can add up to big money being accidentally or even fraudulently charged to Saipan customers. If a metering device is 95 percent correct on the short side the ‘error’ costs the driving public 25 cents extra per gallon pumped at today’s prices,” said Torres.
“The gas station collects an extra $240 for every 1,000 gallons of gas it pumps. Hundreds of thousands of gallon are being pumped in the CNMI and that adds up to big bucks,” he added.
Santos said they found no irregularities when they inspected some gas stations using the U.S. National Institute Standard and Technology Handbook 44 as basis.
“Based on our periodic and annual inspections and testing of the gas pumps on Saipan, all the pumps are within the acceptable tolerance requirement by the NIST Handbook 44,” he told Torres in a letter dated July 18.
Santos said Commerce personnel are also part of the CNMI consumer group and will not tolerate abuses.
He said consumers should consider gassing up when the temperature is cooler to get more for their money.
“As a word of advice to consumers, it is best to put gasoline in their cars during the early morning hours or in the evenings when the atmospheric temperature is cooler,” he said.
Gas stations on Saipan sell unleaded gas at $5.05 a gallon —a dollar more than the CNMI’s hourly minimum wage rate of $4.05.
