Why fuel prices jumped in March

TANZANIA: MOTORISTS in the country will dig deeper in their pockets following an increase in diesel and petrol prices announced on Wednesday by the Energy and Water Utilities Regulatory Authority (EWURA).

According to EWURA, the country’s fuel price in March jumped up due to a rise in the world’s price by an average of 4.5 per cent and 2 per cent for petrol and diesel respectively.

The authority further attributed the increase in fuel price to a rise in premiums for the importation of petroleum products through the Dar es Salaam port by an average of about 15.38 per cent for petrol and 40 per cent for diesel.

Furthermore, according to EWURA’s statement, the increase in premium at Mtwara Port reached about 8 per cent for both petrol and diesel.

“The change also is attributed to a significant increase in the use of EURO for the payment of imported petroleum product,” read the statement.

According to EWURA, in Dar es Salaam, petrol will be sold at a retail price of 3,163/- per litre in comparison to 3,051/- last month, while diesel is sold at 3,126/- per litre from 3,029 in February. Kerosene’s price in Dar es Salaam remained at 2,840/-, read the statement.

In Tanga Region, petrol prices rose to 3,209/- per litre from 3,064/- in February, while diesel declined to 3,173/- per litre from 3,196/- last month with the kerosene price maintaining the price of 2886/-.

Motorists in Kyerwa District in Kagera Region will have to dig deeper for the month under review, where they will pay 3,401/- per litre of petrol, compared to 3,288/- last month, while diesel price increased to 3,364/- per litre, compared to 3,267/- per litre of diesel in February.

According to EWURA, in Kibondo Town, Kigoma Region petrol price stands at 3,332/- in comparison to 3,220/- last month, while diesel reached 3,296/- from 3,198/- per litre in February.