Diesel and gas demand plunged due to the decrease in the daily activity of Egyptians as half of civil servants were given Wednesday off to vote in the presidential election, the General Petroleum Authority (GPA) said.
GPA Vice President Amr Mostafa told Al-Masry Al-Youm that the demand for diesel and gas went down unexpectedly because most citizens got a day or half a day off.
Mostafa added that the supply of diesel fuel has stabilized at 38,000 tons and gasoline at 14,000 tons.
Mostafa said that the GPA, in cooperation with the ministries of interior, defense, supply and internal trade have devised a plan to secure the distribution of petroleum products, tightening control on distribution outlets, and increasing supply on weekends to avoid traffic jams in front of gas stations and clashes among drivers.
Petroleum Minister Abdullah Ghorab told Al-Masry Al-Youm that diesel supply has not been reduced despite the high demand by farmers in the peak harvest season, adding that he is monitoring the situation with the governors on a daily basis to avoid a crisis during the election.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
