The gas, diesel and butane crisis in Egypt continued Thursday while hundreds of demonstrators blocked a number of roads in protest of the ongoing crisis, which the government announced has been solved.
In Minya, hundreds of protestors blocked the agricultural road in protest of gas stations declining to sell gallons of gas as instructed by the governor, while clashes between drivers of taxis and private cars waiting to get gas octane 80 resulted in injuries.
In Qena, scores of demonstrators blocked the Qena-Nagaa Hammadi road with burning tires in protest of the shortage in butane cylinders, which are being sold in the black market.
In Daqahlia, the shortage of gas octane 80 and 90 escalated, and many gas stations witnessed crowding while others closed their doors due to the shortage in supply. Several clashes erupted between citizens queuing to get gas.
The crisis continued to affect 6th of October City and Giza as gas stations in Guhaina, Sheikh Zayed City, Kerdasa and Awsim, Badrashin and Ayyat witnessed crowding. Clashes between driver of cars, bikes and tuk tuks resulted in the injury of four people.
Egyptian officials made contradicting statements about ending the gas shortage that has been ongoing for the past week.
Head of the Ministry of Supply and Domestic Trade’s Supervision and Distribution Sector Eng Fathi Abdel Aziz told Al-Masry Al-Youm that the crisis has witnessed a détente after the Ministry of Petroleum ordered that new supplies be pumped into the market.
“The Ministry of Supply and Domestic Trade has intensified efforts in gas stations and butane reservoirs to confront the crisis,” he said.
“The crisis will end by the beginning of next week after new supplies are pumped and imported to serve as a strategic reserve,” Aziz added.
Aziz said that a meeting between officials from the ministries of Petroleum and Supply and Domestic Trade will be held in the next few hours to discuss solving the crisis on the ground through the implementation of a tight security plan to control the market.
Petroleum Ministry sources announced that the crisis ended on Thursday and stressed the ministry’s commitment to providing the market with fuel.
It will become evident that the crisis has ended as gas stations and butane reservoirs in all governorates are supplied with the normal amount of gas.
Other government sources claimed that the Finance Ministry is providing financial assistance to the Petroleum Ministry to import fuel. The most recent payment was on Wednesday and amounted to US$150 million.
A prominent figure in the Finance Ministry confirmed that the ministry is inclined to import fuel due to the current liquidity crisis.
Translated from Al-Masry Al-Youm
