President Daniel Chapo warned on Monday (13) in Maputo that the fuel crisis, caused by the war in the Middle East, could reach Mozambique at any time, calling for the expansion of public transportation as a way to mitigate the impacts, Lusa reported.
The head of state was speaking in his capacity as president of the Mozambique Liberation Front (Frelimo, the ruling party) during the opening of the 2nd National Council of the Mozambican Youth Organization (OJM), where he highlighted several preventive measures currently underway.
“By deploying vehicles to the 15 municipalities in the Central and Northern regions, and next May to the Southern region, we are precisely anticipating a fuel crisis that could strike at any moment due to the war between Iran, the United States, and Israel. And with public transportation, we can minimize the impact of this crisis,” stated Daniel Chapo.
Meanwhile, the government had already announced last Thursday that it is preparing measures to mitigate the potential impacts of rising fuel prices, given the instability in international markets resulting from the conflict in the Middle East.
According to Felisbela Cunhete, head of the National Directorate of Hydrocarbons and Fuels (DNHC), geopolitical instability has made it difficult to predict price trends on the international market.
“Regarding fuel prices on the international market, there is a great deal of unpredictability. It is very difficult at this point to make any predictions, given the current geopolitical context,” said the director.
She further explained that, between January and February, fuel prices remained relatively stable, but that trend reversed in April, with rising import and product costs.
“Starting in April, import prices began to rise. I am referring to FOB (Free on Board) prices, which correspond to the value of the product at the point of shipment, excluding transportation and insurance, and to the price of the product itself, as a result of the conflict,” explained Felisbela Cunhete.
The director of the DNHC also warned that a potential disruption of traffic in the Strait of Hormuz—through which about 20% of oil and a significant portion of liquefied natural gas transported by sea passes—has already triggered an immediate market reaction and a sharp rise in prices.
