Mozambique: Government admits penalising petrol stations for discounting prices

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Mozambique: Government admits penalising petrol stations for discounting prices

1:02 CAT | 20 Aug 2018

File photo / AIM

Some petrol stations, especially on the Maputo Ring Road have recently been charging less for fuel than the price set by the government, a measure seen by the executive as likely to distort the market.

National Director of Fuels and Hydrocarbons Moisés Paulino is quoted in today’s “Notícias” as saying that the phenomenon is new and needs to be analysed to see to what extent it is harmful. The prices set by the government take into account the entire cost structure of the petrol companies leaving a margin for profit, he says.

“We do not know yet what is happening, but we need to understand what is behind this behaviours. If we find that this is aimed at distorting the market, we will act to penalise [them],” Paulino said.

The government approved a new fuel price chart coming into force on Wednesday in all regions near the ocean terminals with fuel reception facilities.

The price of gasoline increased by more than 2.94 meticais (the US dollar is worth more than 59 meticais), raising the price of a litre from 66.59 to 69.53 meticais. The diesel rose 1.74 meticais, costing 64.66 meticais against the previous 62.92 meticais per litre.

Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG – cooking gas) rose by 0.80 meticais, from 60.33 to 61.13 meticais per kilogram.

Natural gas remained stayed at 31.97 meticais per litre equivalent, as did lighting oil, at 50.33 meticais per litre.

In Mozambique, fuel prices are revised on the basis of Decree 45/2012 of 28 December, which, in Article 67, requires that monthly adjustments be made, whenever there are conditions to that effect, that is, whenever there are substantial changes in either the cost of crude in the international market or in the exchange rate.

Source: AIM Moçambique