January 10, 2022
By Ilyasa Baa
Rumours that the country is going to face fuel shortage and increase in the price of fuel have been refuted and laid to rest by the Petroleum Regulatory Agency (PRA).
The Executive Director, PRA, Dr. Brima M. Baluwa Koroma has said there is enough petrol and diesel in the country to last till the first week in February 2022.
According to him, two thousand metric tons of petrol landed during the festive season adding up to the eleven thousand metric tons that was in store.
As for diesel, he said there is nothing to worry about noting that about ten thousand metric tons is readily available in store.
He stressed that since September last year the price per litre has been LE 10,000 maintaining that the price will remain as it is until reviewed.
He said the Agency together with the government of Sierra Leone is working hard to ensure that there is enough fuel in country and the price remains lower than other counties in the sub-region.
“Before the festive season, we ensured that there was fuel and during the festive season, we brought in more fuel to avoid scarcity”, said Dr. Koroma, adding that there is no need for people to start hoarding fuel as if there is scarcity.
He confirmed that in Bo, a particular fuel station was caught hoarding the fuel and he had to call the police leading to the confiscation of forty nine jerry cans otherwise known as “avolin” in our local parlance.
He said one of the terminals was shot down following New Year’s Eve but with their intervention, the terminal was opened for full swing operation, he disclosed.
Established by an Act of Parliament, the Petroleum Regulatory Agency grants licenses and regulates the petroleum downstream activities in Sierra Leone including importation, storage transportation, retailing, refinery, jetty and bunkering. PRA regulates, monitors and overseas petroleum and petroleum products in the downstream industry in Sierra Leone for growth, efficiency and stakeholders’ satisfaction.
Meanwhile, consumers have expressed the need for the pump price not to increase as it happened last year when the price flew up to ten thousand Leones but was once reduced when the global fuel price was reduced due to the Covid pandemic. This reduction had led to decrease in the cost transportation which was widely celebrated