The Mozambican Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy has acknowledged that gas stations in the country are experiencing difficulties in obtaining guarantees from commercial banks to make products available due to the shortage of foreign currency. Despite these challenges, Minister Estêvão Pale assured the public that there is sufficient fuel in the country.
“There is fuel in the country. What is happening is that some gas stations are having some difficulties in obtaining guarantees from commercial banks so that the fuel can be made available to the market,” said Minister Pale, speaking on the sidelines of a retreat for the department’s staff to discuss legislation for the sector in Ponta do Ouro, Maputo province, southern Mozambique.
The issue concerns the lack of fuel at gas stations, already reported in the cities of Pemba in Cabo Delgado province and in Beira in Sofala province, which is said to be leading to price speculation. “But this process [guarantees from commercial banks] is being handled, not only with commercial banks but also at the level of the central bank, which guarantees that there is enough currency for this,” the Minister explained.
Fuel retailers in Mozambique had previously acknowledged to Lusa on March 24 that there were “fluctuations” in the supply and provision of these products in the country but guaranteed that there was no shortage of stock. “At the moment we are facing some fluctuations in the supply of fuels. What I can say in relation to these fluctuations is that at some point some filling stations might be left without one of the fuels,” explained Nelson Mavimbe, president of the Association of Fuel Retailers of Mozambique (Arcomoc).
The Mozambican President, Daniel Chapo, even pointed out the potential use of maritime transport for fuel delivery from Nampula to Cabo Delgado to address the regional challenges. “We may have challenges in Cabo Delgado such as the issue related to fuel, and in this regard we are already organizing ourselves so that, via cabotage, via sea, we can load the fuel from the port of Nacala [Nampula] to Cabo Delgado and this loading will be possible until we restore the route,” he explained.
Source: Lusa
