9 Sep 2010

Shock at closure of only petrol station in PNG's Popendetta

10:30 am on 9 September 2010

A retail business owner in Popendetta in PNG's Oro province says its a huge blow that the only petrol station in the province has closed.

The petrol station owner, Dale McCartney, has closed it down following the third armed robbery in nine months, on Sunday.

The owner of a supermarket in Popendetta, Peter Seeto, says its a small retail town and the location of that petrol station next to a track, had made it an easy target for robbers.

He says people now have no other choice now but to pay high premiums for petrol.

"What will happen is that there will be some opportunists who will take advantage of the situation and they will buy in bulk from the fuel depot here and take it to villages to sell at a premium."

Price Rite supermarket owner, Peter Seeto.