The Mozambican government has sharply increased fuel prices, with diesel rising by 45.5% and petrol by 12.1% per litre from today, citing soaring international oil prices linked to the conflict in the Middle East.
Speaking to journalists in Maputo after a Cabinet meeting on Wednesday night, the chairman of the Board of the Energy Regulatory Authority (Arene), Paulo da Graça, said the government had been monitoring developments in the Middle East for more than two months.
“As is widely known, this conflict has triggered fuel price increases internationally and across the African continent. In southern Africa in particular, there has been a generalised rise in prices,” he said.
Mozambican President Daniel Chapo acknowledged on Thursday that the fuel price hike had become unavoidable, stressing that despite the increases, fuel prices in Mozambique remain among the lowest in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region.
“The fuel problem is not only Mozambique’s problem, it is a global issue,” Chapo said during a rally in Magoe district, in the central province of Tete Province, where he is on a working visit.
“We held on for almost two months hoping the war would end so that life could return to normal,” he added.
The president recalled that the government had warned in recent weeks that prices could rise by the end of April or early May, depending on fuel stock levels. Fuel prices had remained unchanged for more than a year despite mounting international pressures caused by the Middle East conflict and disruptions to global supply chains.
However, the arrival of new fuel shipments at higher import prices, combined with a worsening domestic supply crisis, forced the government to act. In recent weeks, several filling stations across the country have closed temporarily, long queues have formed, and some economic activities have been disrupted due to shortages.
“We have no alternative but to adjust prices so that suppliers can stabilise fuel distribution at filling stations and stop the illegal resale of fuel on the black market,” Chapo said.
He also appealed for calm among consumers and called for national unity and increased domestic production to reduce the country’s vulnerability to global crises.
“Only by producing more can we prevent global crises such as wars and fuel shocks, just as happened with Covid-19, from affecting us so severely,” the president stated.
Under the new pricing structure, a litre of petrol now costs 93.69 meticais (ZAR23.4), up from 83.57 meticais (ZAR20.9). Diesel has risen from 79.88 meticais (ZAR19.97) to 116.25 meticais (ZAR29) per litre.
