The Government of Saint Lucia maintained its targeted fuel subsidy package for the May 11 to May 31, 2026 adjustment window, applying $1.14 per imperial gallon to gasoline, $1.65 to diesel, and $6.76 to kerosene. Liquefied petroleum gas subsidies remained significant, with $39.97 applied to 20-pound cylinders, $43.37 to 22-pound cylinders, $81.35 to 100-pound cylinders, and $0.81 per pound on bulk LPG. The next adjustment is scheduled for June 1, 2026.
The Government framed the package as a cushion against continued global oil price volatility driven by the Middle East conflict, citing protection for consumers, households, and key sectors. The size of the cushion is visible when the subsidised retail prices are placed alongside the un-subsidised figures the Ministry published. Without intervention, the Government says, a 20-pound LPG cylinder would cost approximately $73.97; a 22-pound cylinder would cost $81.37; and a 100-pound cylinder would cost $369.85. Cooking gas costs rose at this adjustment for the first cylinder size after sustained subsidy levels in earlier 2026 windows.
For Saint Lucian families abroad sending remittances home and for diaspora returnees managing household budgets in Castries, Vieux Fort, and Soufriere, the fuel subsidy structure has become a sustained line item in the country’s expenditure. The government’s modified market pass-through petroleum pricing mechanism is designed to absorb some — but not all — of the international price swing. As long as Brent and WTI remain elevated on conflict pricing, the fiscal cost of cushioning households continues to climb.
Sources: The Voice St Lucia, May 11, 2026; Government of Saint Lucia.