A piece of legislation has been introduced amending statutes that established the weight and load standards of vehicles traveling on Guam’s roads. These standards, according to the proposed measure, increase the cost of basic commodities being imported and distributed on island.
Bill 71-35, introduced by Sen. James Moylan, proposes to amend the statute establishing the current vehicle weight limitations.
Moylan said, “Public Law 33-106, which was enacted in 2015, established such measures, including a bridge formula for our roads that required a very conservative standard which forced importers to lighten their incoming shipments, thus resulting in increased shipping costs for goods entering our island.”
According to Moylan, the current formula is attributed to an $8 increase on the price of a 50 lb bag of Jasmine Rice. It also increases the cost of a bag of sugar and a can of corned beef by around 6 percent. Consumers are paying 5 percent more for a gallon of milk and 26 percent more per pound of chicken thighs.
“These costs were added to the goods, which unfortunately meant that island residents would end up paying more at the cash registers. Revising the formula could mean savings for consumers,” Moylan said.
