Fuel prices in Tanzania have risen despite the government intervention by scraping off TSh 100 of levies.
On Tuesday, Energy and Water Utilities Regulatory Authority (Ewura) said that from March 2, motorists in Dar es Salaam will buy a litre of petrol at Tsh2,540 ($1.10) from Tsh2,480 ($1.07), while a litre of diesel will cost Tsh2,403 ($1.04) a litre from Tsh2,338 ($1.01) and a litre of kerosene will cost Tsh2,208 ($0.95) a litre up from Tsh2,291 ($0.99).
The Ministry of Energy, in a statement on Monday, said that the $0.043 surcharge on a litre of petrol, diesel, and kerosene, imposed since July 2021, has been scrapped as the government monitors the international market in the face of the eastern Europe conflict.
The new fuel prices which were issued on Tuesday, March 1, by the Energy and Water Utilities Regulatory Authority (Ewura) take effect from Wednesday 2, 2022.
Speaking today, Ewura Director General Godfrey Chibulunje, said the fuel prices are actually a relief comparing to what actual prices were supposed to be.
“If the government had not intervened and assisted, the petroleum products imported through Dar es Salaam port prices would have been Sh2, 640 for petrol, Sh2,503 for a litre of diesel and Sh2,308 for kerosene,” Ewura Director General Godfrey Chibulunje.
He further stated that fuel prices will also increase for the products imported through Tanga and Mtwara ports.
At the Tanga port, the price of petrol will now be at Sh2, 563 per litre, diesel will be sold at Sh2, 484 while at Mtwara a litre of petrol will cost Sh2, 577 and diesel will be sold at Sh2, 530.
Oil prices have been rising in the world market as concerns rise regarding the supply disruptions due to the Russia invasion of Ukraine.
With this in mind the government through the ministry for Energy this week signed a regulation amendment to allow a waiver of Sh100 to the prices of fuel for the next three months.
“In response to the sustained rise in global fuel prices, the Energy Ministry is removing a total of Sh100 in various levies on the price of every litre of petrol diesel and kerosene that was to be paid by consumers for a period of three months starting March, 2022…,” reads a statement from the Energy Ministry.
It states that though the decision will see the government losing Sh30 billion per month in revenue, the government found the decision as necessary to protect Tanzanian consumers against the negative effects of the rising global prices.
Read also; Tanzania’s Exports to Kenya Rise by 50% in FY 2021.
