This Thursday, the Energy Regulatory Authority (ARENE) announced a downward revision of the current prices of fuel sold to the public.

The document to which MZNews had access indicates that the new prices will come into effect from midnight on Friday (12). The update will affect the sales terminals located in Maputo-Matola, Beira, Nacala and Pemba.

With the new revision, petrol, which currently costs 86.97 meticais, will now be sold to the public for 85.49 meticais per liter, a reduction of -1.48 meticais (-1.70%); diesel will see a rise of 6.78 meticais (7.71%), from the current 87.97 meticais to 94.75 meticais per liter; cooking gas will maintain its current price of 90.01 meticais per kilogram; and vehicular natural gas will rise from the current 43.73 meticais to 45.16 meticais per kilogram, an increase of 1.43 meticais (3.27%).

"It should be noted that the diesel price adjustment will have no effect on the fare for public and semi-collective [passenger] transport, as management instruments have been applied to guarantee the protection of citizen users in relation to transport fares," reads the statement published today.

At fuel supply points other than those mentioned above, adjustments will be made based on the transport differential "taking into account the specific characteristics of each point", ARENE warns.

ARENE justifies the measures with the high import price (CIF) of oil products, despite the fact that crude oil prices are falling on the international market.

The organization also says that the situation is affecting the operations of importers, since the prices charged on the Mozambican market do not cover the costs of imports, "which could lead to a situation of insecurity in the supply of fuel on the national market".

The last adjustment to fuel prices took place in June last year, and ARENE points out that between December 2022 and January 2023 cooking gas had two downward revisions.