Dili, March 17, 2026 (Lusa) – Timor-Leste’s Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, Francisco Monteiro, guaranteed this Tuesday that fuel supplies would be maintained for the next two months, saying the government would intervene in the event of a price surge caused by the conflict in the Middle East.
“So far, we are not facing a critical situation in terms of solutions, but the security of fuel supplies remains stable, assured for the next two months,” said Francisco Monteiro at a press conference.
The minister was speaking to journalists following the rise in fuel prices, due to the conflict in the Middle East, after criticism from the political opposition, which accused the government of failing to provide clarification to the public.
“The Ministry of Petroleum assures the public that energy security, in terms of fuel reserves, is guaranteed for the coming months,” the minister insisted.
The minister also explained that there is “very close coordination” with the companies supplying fuel to the country, that a meeting was held last week to “openly discuss what each entity is doing and plans to do in the near future”.
Regarding the rising fuel prices, Francisco Monteiro explained that Timor-Leste has adopted a free market system and that its costs will always be affected by the global market.
The minister emphasised that the government may take measures if oil prices continue to rise.
“Appropriate measures will be taken to minimise, as far as possible, the negative impacts on the economy if prices rise significantly,” he said.
Francisco Monteiro added that there is no cause for alarm, that there is coordination between all the entities involved.
“We must remain confident. As for the issue of prices, we are monitoring the situation and, in the short term, the Government is expected to adopt some measures to minimise the impact as much as possible,” he added.
On 28 February, the United States and Israel launched a military strike against Iran, killing former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei during the offensive.
Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz, launched retaliatory attacks against targets in Israel, US bases and other infrastructure across the region, including Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Lebanon, Jordan, Oman and Iraq.
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