Fuel sales at Vanualava Petroleum Cooperative in Sola have stopped after the society broke a contract with South Sea Petroleum (SSP).

There are now many questions about whether the Vanualava Petroleum Cooperative Marketing and Consumer Society will operate again after it stopped earlier this year.

In an interview, chairman John Sovan said the society had no reason to stop fuel sales, but it was the SSP team in Santo that stopped the fuel.

“Society has nothing outstanding. The only issue is they claim we increased VT250, but when they came to check, the price in the fuel station is the same as in Santo.”

He said all their outstanding issues are already cleared.

But SSP Santo Terminal Manager Heinricko Seosse said the cooperative is now on hold because it broke the contract between the two parties.

“The contract we have with them is to sell fuel at the same price as in Luganville and Port Vila. That’s why we stopped them and put them on hold until management makes another decision.”

Sovan said they are not happy with the decision because SSP did not give them a 15-day notice or a formal letter, as required in the contract, before stopping the fuel. He said they have now asked the Cooperative Department in Port Vila to help with the issue.

Seosse also questioned why fuel prices in Vanualava are higher than in Santo and Port Vila, even though SSP pays all the freight costs.

“We see that the cost does not need to be high.”

The stop in fuel supply is causing big challenges for fishermen, sea transport, government departments and NGOs in Torba, as they depend on fuel to travel between islands.