In less than two weeks there has been a shortage of fuel in three cities in three Mozambican provinces. However, in view of these episodes, the Mozambican Oil Importer (IMOPETRO) assured this Tuesday, January 3, that the quantities are sufficient to meet the needs of the market.
Just before Christmas, the city of Quelimane, in Zambézia province, experienced fuel shortages, as did the city of Pemba, capital of Cabo Delgado, and more recently the city of Nampula, in the province of the same name.
According to an explanation from IMOPETRO spokesman, Miceles Miambo, cited by newspaper O País, the problem is related to operational issues, stressing that the recent episodes of fuel shortages in some petrol stations in the three mentioned cities are not related to the product’s stock.
“The product, when it is unloaded into the tank, must be left for a certain amount of time to settle, so that the proper tests can be done. Then there is the issue of customs obligations to release the same product, which occurs when the distributors go to load at these terminals, which are the outputs of these products. We have no problem, in human terms, to ensure that this service occurs under perfect conditions. That’s why this delay was resolved in less than 24 hours in the case of Quelimane,” Miambo said.
According to the source, the shortage registered in Zambezia was also influenced by the fact that the fuel consumed in the province had to be transported by trucks from the ports of Maputo and/or Beira.
“The Nampula issue is already taken care of and solved, and it is really an operational issue. It’s the distribution of the product. But we have enough fuel in all ports, not only in Nacala, but at a national level. Even in some ports, there are ships waiting, because we don’t have enough capacity to receive them”, reassured Miambo.
