The government has once again assured the public that there is no actual fuel shortage in the country, despite the long lines that have been forming at gas stations in Maputo and other urban areas.
According to the newspaper O País, over the past week, government spokespeople have reiterated that there are sufficient quantities of gasoline and diesel to meet current demand, pointing, however, to possible irregularities in the distribution chain as the main cause of the constraints.
On the ground, teams from the Ministry of Mineral Resources and Energy conducted inspections on Saturday at various gas stations in the capital to determine the reasons behind the alleged fuel shortage. The teams measured fuel levels in the tanks and requested documentation regarding the quantities purchased by each operator.
The National Director of Hydrocarbons and Fuels, Felisbela Conhete, stated that there is no supply crisis, emphasizing that fuel is available at port terminals. “There is no fuel crisis, because we have fuel. The fuel is at the ports,” she declared.
According to her, the problem lies in what are considered abnormal practices at gas stations and in the distribution network. “Although there is fuel in the tanks, it apparently isn’t reaching the pumps. We are verifying whether the quantities requested by retailers are actually being delivered,” she explained.
Felisbela Conhete acknowledged discrepancies between the volumes requested and those actually made available at some stations, adding that the government will engage with distribution companies to determine responsibility. “Our job is to identify where the bottleneck is in the distribution chain,” she stated, promising strict measures against any offenders.
Gas stations in the Maputo region are supplied from the ocean terminal located at the port of Matola, which, according to authorities, should ensure adequate supply levels in the metropolitan area.
Meanwhile, several operators have implemented informal rationing measures, limiting fuel purchases per vehicle to about 1,000 meticais, equivalent to approximately 12 liters. According to the national director, this practice stems from internal decisions made by gas station managers in response to reduced fuel supplies, and not from government directives.
