EWURA set to announce new fuel prices
PUMP prices for all petroleum products will decrease slightly effective tomorrow as the regulator in the energy subsector is set to announce new prices. The prices were expected to drop since yesterday but further stakeholders' consultation delayed the process, according to Energy and Water Utilities Regulatory Authority (EWURA)'s Principal Communications Officer, Mr Titus Kaguo. "We will be announcing the new prices tomorrow (today) which will be effective from Wednesday this week," Mr Kaguo told the 'Daily News' in a telephone interview from Dodoma on Monday.
Finance Minister, Mr Mustafa Mkulo announced revision of taxes and levies charged on petroleum products in a bid to reduce prices of the commodity. Mr Mkulo made the announcement when tabling budget estimates for financial year 2011/12 in the National Assembly in Dodoma. Ever since the minister made the announcement, EWURA has been conducting several consultations with stakeholders in the industry to review the current formula used in computing indicative and cap prices. "There will be a slight decrease for all petroleum products from Wednesday this week," Mr Kaguo said. He would not however, elaborate.
The EWURA official warned dealers who will charge alternative prices, saying stiff penalties await them. The regulator had earlier announced that prices would drop on July 1, while those of petrol were to decrease by August 1. EWURA Director General, Mr Haruna Masebu, told a news conference that kerosene prices would go up, in line with new taxation regime on petroleum products. According to Mr Masebu, diesel prices were supposed to drop by 215/- per litre while the price of kerosene would have surged by 430/- a litre. He said the price increase on kerosene would curb fuel adulteration. However, kerosene is the main source of heating, cooking and lighting for majority of rural folks.
Presenting the budget estimates, Minister Mkulo had told the august House that EWURA would advise the government on the amount of fees to be reviewed or abolished. Higher fuel prices in the country have been blamed on among others; diverse levies charged by various government institutions. The institutions include EWURA, Surface and Marine Transport Regulatory Authority (SUMATRA), Tanzania Ports Authority (TPA), National Bureau of Standards (NBS), TIPER and Weights and Measures Agency (WMA). Fuel consumption in Tanzania is estimated at five million litres per day, with the exception of tax-exempted fuel to mining companies. Available statistics show that about 1.7 million tonnes of petrol, diesel, kerosene and jet fuel are imported in the country each year.
Daily News | EWURA set to announce new fuel prices