- Web Master
- April 12, 2024
Prior to the resurgence of conflicts
in the Rakhine region,
the price of 92 RON gasoline in Sittwe township
was MMK 2,200 per litre.
But now it has increased up
to MMK 30,000.
A Sittwe resident said
that by 8 December, one litre
of gasoline costs MMK 30,000.
“I've heard that it's available for purchase after queuing at Kone Tan and priced at MMK 9,000 per litre. However, due to the shortage of supply and time constraints many people can not buy the fuel. I have already repaired my bicycle for various uses,” he added.
In Mrauk-U township,
the price of one liter 92 RON
gasoline was around MMK 2,400 before the conflict. By
early December, the price escalated to a
range between MMK 15,000 and MMK 20,000.
The residents are finding difficulties in collecting the
necessary volume of fuel, said a local resident.
"We can not obtain the volume gasoline as needed. It's
a struggle to secure even one litre gasoline. More people are now using bicycles, who used motorcycles
earlier. Many are walking to reach their destinations,” he added.
In Taungup township
too, the cost of one
litre 92 RON gasoline was MMK 2,350 before the
conflict. As of now, the price has increased to
a range between MMK 10,000 and 12,000.
"They are selling
fuel secretly allowing
customers to get only one
litre at the maximum. Many gas stations with
sufficient volume of fuel avoid
selling it to the general
customers. They plan to sell outside with
elevated prices. So the people
are avoiding motorcycles and adopting bicycles which
has also declined the number of accidents,” said
a local resident.
Similarly in Ponna Kyunt township,
prior to the conflict the price of one litre
92 RON gasoline was MMK 2,700. Presently, it is
sold in a range between MMK 18,000 and 20,000.
"When the price of fuel increased, it emerged
as a hardship for me. I limited
my travels
as much as possible. For a short distance I now walk
and have already sent my broken
bicycle for repair. I've preserved
fuel in my motorcycle for emergency uses,” said a
local resident.
In Thandwe township too, the price of gasoline
was approximately MMK 2,300 per litre in the past, but by the end of November,
it surged to a range between MMK 8,000 and MMK 9,000.
Due to the fuel
shortage, the residents are
making lines to gather
fuel from the gas stations to use in motorcycles,
three-wheelers, and cars.
"We don't have access to fuel all
the time. They will allocate
it one day in
a month. The cost is MMK 5,000 for a motorcycle
and MMK 10,000 for the three-wheelers
or cars. They've
divided the delivery days like one
day for motorcycles, one day for
three-wheelers and another day for cars. Due
to security concerns, we normally refrain
from riding vehicles,” stated a
resident.
In Maungdaw township, the residents informed
that the price of one litre gasoline in early November was MMK 2,800. Currently
it has gone up to MMK 8,000.
Since 13 November, when the gun
fighting returned to the Rakhine
region, the junta
forces blocked all roads and
waterways. As a result, the Rakhine
townships including Sittwe, have witnessed
the decrease of motor vehicles and subsequent increase in the use of bicycles
and cycle rickshaws.