Fuel price review is possible in mid-March

13 years, 9 months ago - 3 March 2011

The price of oil on the world market continues to fluctuate. Sometimes it is $99.58 a barrel, or $102 or $107.95, or $112.57. On Wednesday, it was $114.89 a barrel, the highest level in two years. In Mauritius, the Petroleum Pricing Committee (PPC), a new mechanism established by the State Trading Corporation (STC), directly follows the evolution of prices on the world market.

At the last meeting of PPC February 15th, the prices of petrol and diesel have remained unchanged. A liter of petrol is Rs 48.50 and diesel at Rs 39.90.

The PPC will meet again in mid-March, said a senior official of STC. "If the STC has set up the PPC is to ensure that the price of oil is stable on the market. We have a limit in the law, and if the price exceeds this limit then we meet to discuss the new situation. Everything depends on the ability of STC to support this increase and whether the organization in question cannot support it then we must pass this impact to consumers. The PPC can meet at any time. "

A Permanent Monitoring Committee (PMC), with officers at the Ministry of Industry and Commerce and the STC shall monitor the situation daily and data on oil prices will be available on the website of the STC says our interlocutor.

On the other hand some drivers had a nasty surprise that several gas stations across the country were dry. Reuben Phoolchund, Commercial Manager at STC, told the Le Matinal that the ship docked Port Louis Wawasan Celeste on Wednesday morning.

"The ship leaves Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd (MRPL) and to 13.15 and the delivery of gas has begun. 15 hours to 1 000 tonnes of fuel had already left the port on trucks including Total, Shell and Caltex. Normally we consume 300 tons of gasoline per day. The vessel carried a cargo of 7,000 tons of gasoline. The problem of petrol stations is being set. It is because of the pirates that the ship had to take another path, and this explains the delay. The main problem is the pirates."

On Tuesday, trucks were prevented from leaving the port to distribution throughout the country because of the traffic jam on the roads cased by processions in the festival Maha Shivaratree.

The president of the Petrol Retailers Association said a dozen stations were left to dry. He added that in one year, these stations have faced such a problem on several occasions. On the other hand, in a statement issued Wednesday, the State Trading Corporation declares that "this failure may be related to a combination of circumstances in which an increased sales boosted by rumours of an imminent increase following the surge in crude oil and a problem logistics in the distribution and storage. Informed of a stockout on a dozen stations among the 135 in operation, it has "taken over the distribution today, even before the landing of the tanker Wawasan Celeste arrived this morning, with 4 days late." The supply is provided by an oil tanker plying between Mangalore Refinery and PortLouis rotation of 20 days, the recent extension of the area of piracy now imposing a substantial detour to the east, the journey of the tanker is being stretched to 3 to 4 days.