Shortages of gasoline and diesel fuel have diminished on Tuesday in most areas, with the Petroleum Ministry pumping extra fuel to meet market needs, according to officials at the Ministry of Social Solidarity and Domestic Trade.
“We receive fewer complaints now,” said Fathi Abdel Aziz, head of the ministry’s control and distribution department.
Abdel Aziz also said the ministry already distributed 270 million coupons for each family of three to buy three butane gas cylinders every two months, and for each family of more to buy four cylinders every two months, for LE5 per cylinder.
Egypt has been witnessing fuel crises periodically since the ouster of President Mubarak in February 2011. The most recent wave of the crisis began in mid-March, and the government announced on Thursday that the crisis began to ease in Cairo, although complaints about shortages of gas continue.
Last week, Hesham Saadallah, the head of the ministry’s crisis prediction unit, expected that the petroleum products shortage would continue until 15 May.
Translated from Al-Masry Al-Youm
