Fuel Prices: Filling Stations Denounce Inaction From Morocco’s Energy Ministry

Rabat - Morocco’s National Federation of Owners, Traders, and Managers of Service Stations in Morocco (FNPCGS) has condemned inaction from Morocco’s Ministry of Energy, amid an economic crisis driven by soaring fuel prices.

Citing serious challenges, the federation is urging an opening of a dialogue with professionals to discuss measures to support service stations.

The federation warned that service stations are facing a deficit in tackling the “obscene” soaring prices of fuel.

“Our request for a government intervention has gone unnoticed,” the federation said on Monday, accusing the Ministry of Energy of closing its doors in “the face of workers, who have been demanding dialogue to discuss the challenges.”

The federation also conveyed its plan to request the competition’s council intervention to protect workers and the purchasing power of all citizens.

This is not the first time gas stations have demanded government support because of a surge in fuel prices.

The federation emphasized that owners have been forced to take loans to cover the surging expenses.

The Moroccan government acknowledged that soaring increases in food and basic products are set to continue.

Last week, spokesperson of the government Mustapha Baitas said the situation is due to global context, citing the ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia.

“The impact of this conflict on Morocco is true,” Baitas said, recalling, that the region experiencing the crisis is a strategic hub for global food production.

Moroccans across the country have been complaining about the increase in both food and fuel prices.

Some products, including tomatoes, onions, and red and green pepper, experienced a surge in their prices, leaving citizens with an average or low purchasing power overwhelmed.

Meanwhile, fuel prices are ranging between MAD 14 and 15 per liter, compared to MAD 10 and 11, previously. 

Source:Morocco World News