Mozambique Fuel Supply Dispute Remains Unresolved
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Thursday, 13 August 2009 |
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Drivers in Mozambique faced long lines and short supply at petrol
stations as price negotiations between the government and suppliers
failed to resolve a deepening fuel crisis.
Petrol stations say they can't afford to keep supplying fuel at low state-controlled prices, and pumps have begun running dry.
Government has promised to pay subsidies to the suppliers to offset the
price difference, but the Mozambican Association of Petroleum Companies
(Amepetrol) says no money has actually been paid out yet.
State media reported that talks between the Energy Ministry and Amepetrol had failed to resolve the two-week-old fuel crisis.
Amepetrol told local media that service stations in the capital,
Maputo, were operating at 40% capacity. State oil company Petromoc has
said it has enough reserves to supply the whole country until the next
fuel shipment arrives.
A Petromoc spokesperson said the company has been supplying an extra
20-million litres a day since the crisis began. Amepetrol says the
government price controls, which currently cap a litre of unleaded at
89 United States cents, led to $200-million in losses last year.
The government promised last week not to raise petrol prices despite
Amepetrol's supply strike.
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