Gas shortage in Maputo gives rise to price speculation, but Petrogal says supply has increased

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Gas shortage in Maputo gives rise to price speculation, but Petrogal says supply has increased

2:07 CAT | 30 May 2019

File photo: Savana

In the last two weeks, Maputo city and province have experienced noticeable deficiencies in the domestic gas distribution process, leading to price speculation at retailers, particularly in the informal sector.

Questioned about the situation, domestic gas distributor Petrogal denied there was a crisis, but recent mediaFAX visits to retailers confirm the shortage. This is the underlying reason behind price speculation in the informal market, with 695.85 meticais eleven-kilogram cylinders currently being sold for between 800 and 950 meticais.

Searching for reasons for what it labels “an apparent crisis”, Petrogal says the situation is the result of “us being in winter”, a time when cooking gas is more in demand.

“We do not see any crisis; the gas we are making available in the market could not translate into a possible crisis,” head of operations at Petrogal Moçambique João Tavares says.

Tavares also asserts that the supply of cooking gas is increasing by 10% a month, so the idea that there is any kind of shortage makes no sense.

About 6,500 bottles per day were distributed in the cities of Maputo and Matola in April, rising since the beginning of May to 6,900 bottles a day, showing an effective increase in distribution.

Source: Savana