Bujumbura: fuel shortage resurfaces

Motorists have been queuing for supplies at service stations in Burundi’s economic capital for about two weeks. In the various service stations of the city, vehicles are parked for hours for some and days for others while waiting for the delivery to be made. The authorities have not yet mentioned the reasons for this fuel shortage which is disrupting urban transport. INFO SOS Médias Burundi

Vehicle owners are forced to leave them at home. Others source their supplies on the black market. Clandestine fuel sellers offer a liter of gasoline at five thousand Burundian francs, while the official price per liter at the pump is three thousand two hundred and fifty.

During this period of fuel scarcity, pump attendants sometimes require motorists to pay an additional sum of up to 50 thousand Burundian francs depending on the quantity requested, before serving them.

The 25-liter cans are filled with an addition of 30 thousand while mopeds wishing to fill up their tank are forced to add five thousand Burundian francs or more to be supplied.

Consequences

The taxi fare is negotiated between five thousand and 15 thousand instead of three thousand Burundian francs the usual price. A situation that affects not only drivers but also users who find it difficult to move.

All signals seem to be red. Some gas station tanks in the city of Bujumbura are already dry.

On the side of the ministry in charge of energy and also in charge of fuel management, they do not want to talk about shortage but rather about scarcity.

“There is no question of shortage of petroleum products in Bujumbura but rather there are isolated cases of scarcity of fuel. I reassure that the situation is under control, “said a senior official of this ministry.

Anyway, the fuel shortage was observed all over the country for two weeks.

Residents of Bujumbura despair. They think they will reconnect with the way of the cross which lasted several months this year before a short period of return to normal in recent weeks.

The lack of foreign currency would be at the origin of this shortage as indicated by a central bank official on condition of anonymity.

“For several weeks now, the petrol tanks in Bujumbura have been almost empty,” testifies a tanker.

President Neva recently reassured that his country will no longer experience a generalized shortage of petroleum products.