Maputo, March 24, 2025 (Lusa) - Fuel retailers in Mozambique acknowledged to Lusa on Monday that there were "fluctuations" in the supply of these products in the country but said that there was no shortage of stock.
"At the moment we are facing some fluctuations in the supply of fuel (...) what I can say about these fluctuations is that at some point some petrol stations will run out of one of the fuels," explained the president of the Association of Fuel Retailers of Mozambique (Arcomoc), Nelson Mavimbe, in an interview with Lusa.
Thousands of Mozambicans flocked to petrol stations in the city of Pemba, Cabo Delgado province, last week in search of petrol and diesel, which is in short supply, prompting speculation on transport prices.
The fuel shortage in Pemba was explained by the cutting of the road linking it to the province of Nampula, due to the consequences of the recent cyclone Jude, and by the reduced local storage capacity.
President, Daniel Chapo, even pointed to the use of maritime transport for fuel from Nampula to Cabo Delgado: "We may have challenges in Cabo Delgado such as the issue related to fuel, and in this we are already organising ourselves so that, by cabotage, by sea, we can load fuel from the port of Nacala [Nampula] to Cabo Delgado and this loading will be possible until we restore the road."
The president of the retailers' association told Lusa that fuel availability at petrol stations is tending to return to normal, pointing to “efforts” by the government and distributors to make the products available.
"Until last week it was normal to go into a petrol station and only find diesel there, but no petrol (...) I wouldn't say it's a rupture, because until then the situation has been minimally normalised," said Nelson Mavimbe.
Mozambique has around 900 fuel retailers, who provide almost 27,000 jobs. Around 200 retailers are members of the Association of Fuel Retailers.
The organisation's president complained about the insufficient financing for this sector, which, he said, "are not sustainable" given the "high interest rates".
"We also have tax burdens that are a concern," said Nelson Mavimbe, pointing to the government's progress in finding solutions to the problems raised.
"As retailers, we complain about inspections. There is no consistency in this inspection thing. Various groups inspect petrol stations, and this is embarrassing. We're not saying that we shouldn't be inspected, but it's important that it's the same inspection and that it's coordinated," he added.
The retailers also asked the government to review their profit margin in the fuel business, claiming that it hasn't happened "for four years" and that it should be reviewed annually.
The Association of Fuel Retailers of Mozambique is asking the government to ensure exchange rate stability and to find "ways" to end the shortage of foreign currency, and to seek better lines of financing with more "balanced" policies in terms of interest rates.
PME/ADB // ADB.
Lusa
