Petrol station owners in south Cyprus protest over the buying of cheap fuel from north Cyprus

Petrol station owners in south Cyprus gathered to protest the loss of income as a result of Greek Cypriots buying cheaper petrol from the TRNC.

The protest organized by petrol station owners demonstrating over imports of cheaper fuel from north Cyprus started around 11:00am on Tuesday at the Ayios Dometios checkpoint with north Cyprus and concluded outside the Presidential Palace.

A convoy of around 80 trucks roamed the streets of Nicosia starting from the Ayios Dometios checkpoint. Roads were blocked with fuel trucks at the border checkpoint, temporarily halting crossing from the south to the north.

In a memorandum submitted to the President of Cyprus, the association of petrol station owners wrote that they are suffering significant loss of revenue from “unfair competition” from north Cyprus.

The protesters demanded that the government takes measures to support their businesses.

On Monday, the Greek Cypriot press report that the south’s government would announce stricter controls at crossings to prevent people purchasing extra fuel for use in the south, other than just filling their tanks.

The energy minister, while noting the objections of petrol station owners, said that it was not illegal for Greek Cypriots to purchase fuel in the north.

According to the EU’s Green Line regulation, it is not illegal to fill up in the north, however, it is illegal to purchase fuel there and sell in the south.