Juba petrol stations reduce the prices of fuel to 2,000 SSP per liter. (-)

Petrol station owners in Juba have lowered fuel prices back to 2,000 pounds per a liter following a deal between Somali businessmen and the state-owned oil giant – NilePet.

The Nile Petroleum Corporation and Somali Business and Financial Union, which owns 90 percent of petrol stations in the capital, agreed to reduce fuel prices for a week starting from Wednesday 6^th of March.

The decision to lower fuel prices was a response to the current inflation which has sharply increased the cost of transport and other commodities.

NilePet Managing Director Bernard Amour Makeny said the one-week reduction could be subjected to a review within that timeframe.

An Eye Radio assessment in several fuel stations along Munuki-Gudele road, and the Jebel Area this morning, observed that prices have been reduced in accordance with the decision.

Some of the fuel station owners expressed their commitment to implement the agreed fuel price reduction in an interview with Eye Radio on Thursday.

“Regarding the issue of fuel prices, actually we are already complying with the presidential order now the fuel we have produced.”

“It is now 2000 both petrol and diesel we implemented already. It’s already like that in all our stations.”

“We were selling at a price of 2,180, but as of this morning, we have reduced it to 2000. This price adjustment has been mandated by the government in collaboration with the Somali business community.”

However, members of the public say transport fares are still high despite the reduction in fuel prices.

On Monday, the economic bloc, headed by President Salva Kiir, held a meeting in which it decided to supply the country with enough fuel and sell it at a subsidized price to citizens in the coming weeks.

The bloc also agreed to import food supplies and sell them to citizens at a subsidized price.

According to the government, these measures aim to improve the deteriorating economic situation and reduce the cost of living for citizens.