Up until May 15, Mobil Oil Mariana Islands and Shell were selling unleaded fuel $2.97 a gallon.
It went up from $3.12 to $3.37 yesterday.
On Rota, gas stations are selling fuel at $4.15 a gallon and $3.91 on Tinian.
A Rota resident, who now lives on Saipan, said every time the gas prices increase on their island, traders and merchants also raise the prices of their goods or services.
For instance, a dozen eggs on Saipan sold for $2.69 is $5 on Rota.
“Everything on Rota is more expensive than on Saipan or Tinian,” he said.
But the resident said he doesn’t expect the CNMI government to be able to help Rota because its efforts to determine if there was price manipulation in fuel products didn’t prove anything.
Some Saipan residents said Mobil and Shell should immediately lower their prices once the crude oil prices in the international market go down.
“They should lower their prices if the price of crude oil drops,” a motorist said.
The price of crude oil per barrel reached over $72 on Tuesday from a low of $39 about a month ago as political tension in Iran continues.
