The Mozambican Director of Hydrocarbons and Fuels, Moisés Paulino, has admitted that the price of fuels will rise in coming months, following the announcement by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC+) on cutting oil production by two million barrels a day.
According to Paulino, during an interview on Mozambican Television (TVM), “in the coming months, the situation on the domestic market may change in an unfavourable direction for Mozambican consumers. Naturally, it is not a very good moment for the fuel sector.”
Meanwhile, Paulino said, the Government is studying measures in order to minimize the impact of the imminent rise in fuel prices.
“We are now concerned with getting solutions. We will review the Fuel Decree to find legal issues that can facilitate the management of this moment that lies ahead”, he added, explaining that “the Government has been in talks with the fuel suppliers”.
A week ago, the President of the Mozambican Association of Oil Companies (AMEPETROL), Michael Ussene, stated that with the price of a barrel of Brent crude on the international market at between 83 and 84 USD, under normal conditions, a litre of diesel in Mozambique should cost 110 Meticais (1.7 dollars at the current exchange rate) much higher than the current price of 87.97 meticais. Petrol should cost about 104 Meticais a litre, but the current price at the pump is 86.97 Meticais.
The group of major oil producers, which includes Saudi Arabia and Russia, announced the production cut following its first meeting in person since March 2020. The reduction is equivalent to about two per cent of global oil demand.
The production cuts will start in November and the OPEC+ allies will meet again in December.
OPEC and its allies, which control more than 40% of global oil production, are hoping to pre-empt a drop in demand for their barrels following a sharp economic slowdown in China, the United States and Europe.
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