In the Democratic Republic of Congo, the eastern provinces are wrestling with a steep rise in fuel prices at the pump. The cost of public transportation has increased to the point where commuters are resorting to walking instead of using cars.
Taxi drivers are saying there have been meetings planned to set the prices, but many fuel resellers or “Khadafis” as they call them are not sticking to the plan. The taxi drivers claim that fuel prices change when they purchase fuel at night which is a different price than the agreed price for during the day.
Despite consumer protests, petroleum companies in South Kivu claim not to be responsible for the price hikes.
According to Urbain KANGE, secretary-reporter of the South Kivu Petroleum Club, “drivers should voice their concerns and request that the authorities set a favorable price, but so far, the price currently set by the Ministry of Economy allows us to renew our stocks and sell our petroleum products.”
With the start of the presidential election campaign approaching in less than a month, scheduled for December 20 in the DRC, none of the 24 presidential candidates has been disqualified from the race yet, even though limited fuel availability may constrain their movements.
The new fuel price structure in the DRC has hiked the cost of gasoline by 12% in the eastern regions, prompting a price tag of 3,970 Congolese francs (1.58 USD) per liter. In the western regions, the rise is slightly gentler at 8%, setting the price of gasoline at 3,225 Congolese francs (1.29 USD).
Similarly, diesel prices have seen an upward trend with a liter costing 4,020 CDF (12%) in the eastern part, 3,215 CDF (8%) in the western part, and 4,145 CDF in the southern part.