Zimbabwe Consuming Less Fuel Lately, Says Gumbo

The Herald has reported that consumption of fuel has dropped. It has drooped by almost 1,5 million litres and 1,8 million litres per day for diesel and petrol respectively between January and February 2019. The decrease is credited to price alterations and the Monetary Policy Statement. The Government reviewed, respectively, the price of petrol and diesel to RTGS$3,31 and RTGS$3,11 on 12 January 2019. The fall in consumption is believed to have resulted in foreign currency savings. Hard currency deficiency in Zimbabwe is constraining the importation of other essentials including medical drugs.

Joram Gumbo, Minister of Energy and Power Development, told Business Weekly last week that logistical challenges relating to distribution have resulted in fuel queues around the country. Gumbo said:

Consumption has gone down but the statistics are not yet final. We have continued to see queues for fuel for logistical reasons but definitely, consumption for diesel has gone down to about 3,3 million litres per day and petrol to about 2 million litres per day.

But we cannot say that we are giving the correct figure at the moment because we had not completely stabilised since the change of prices. When the prices changed, there was the issue of the Monetary Policy, it affected again consumption.

Gumbo reiterated that fuel pipelines transporting the bulk of Zimbabwe’s fuel remain intact. This supports the announcement by Magna Mudyiwa, Deputy Minister of Energy that transportation of fuel from Beira to Harare will resume next month.

Related:

• Beira To Harare Fuel Pipeline To Reopen

• Total Zimbabwe Statement On Fuel Situation Following Cyclone Idai

More: The Herald