Narinjara News, December 3, 2022

An acute shortageof fuel persists in large gas (petrol) stations in Sittwe township of Rakhine state.

Ko Aung Htike,secretary of the Rakhine State Petroleum Trade Association said, “ We are running out of fuel at gas stations all over Sittwe. The roads havebeen closed for 23 days from 10 November. Once cars are allowed toenter the city, they will be able to bring fuel. We want the roads to be reopened as soon aspossible.”

The Secretarycontinued, “ The fuel shortage has been going on for a while. The main reasonis that theroads are closed, and oil tankers are not allowed to pass through. Truckscarrying fuel couldnot enter the city and were stuck on the road. Gas stations in the city havebeen selling onlythe remaining fuel since the beginning of November. I had hoped that the roadswould be reopenedone day, but so far, the roads are still closed, and the tankers keep gettingstuck on theroad. The remaining fuel in the city has been sold. Now there hasbeen a fuel shortage in the city for several days.”

A Military Councilvehicle suffered a landmine attack on the Yangon-Sittwe Road between Sin Inn Gyi and Padaythar villages of Ponnagyun townshipon the morning of November 10. Since then, the Yangon-Sittwe road has been closed by theMilitary Council and passage of trucks, expresses and oil tankers have been restricted for 22 daysnow.

Since the MilitaryCouncil has closed the Sittwe-Ponnagyun Road, part of the Yangon-Sittwe Highway Road, the large vehicles that import fuelfrom Yangon cannot reach Sittwe but are stuck in Ponnagyun, hence there is a shortage offuel in gas stations in Sittwe.

At present, all 5major gas stations in Sittwe are out of fuel due to road closures. Autorickshaw driversin the city have to buy petrol from small makeshift retail shops selling itliter by liter on

the roadsides. Anauto rickshaw driver said that one liter of Octane 92 costs 3200 to 3500 kyats at these shops.

“All major gasstations have been closed, because there is no fuel left. Roadside small shops are selling a liter of Octane 92 at prices rangingfrom 3200 to 3500 kyats. They sell at higher prices under the pretext of an oil shortage.. Beforeif you fill up with 5000 kyats worth of petrol at gas stations, it is enough to drive for the wholeday. Now I bought a liter of petrol for 3500 kyats, and it just ran out after I drove twice into thecity”, he said.

According to thefuel prices standard published in Myanmar Alin newspaper today, it is set that 92 octane is 2135 kyats per liter, 95 octane is 2210kyats per liter, regular diesel is 2565 kyats per liter and premium diesel is 2640 kyats perliter.

An informalceasefire deal between the Arakan Army (AA) and the Military Council has beenin place sinceNovember 26, but fuel tankers are still stuck as the Yangon-Sittwe Road has notyet been reopenedby the Military Council yet.