Oliver Kazunga, Senior Business Reporter

15/7/2019

FUEL prices have gone up with some filling stations in Bulawayo selling diesel and petrol slightly above the recommended maximum price stipulated by the Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority (Zera).

Zera announced the price adjustments on Saturday with the maximum pump price of diesel and petrol set at $5,84 and $6,10 per litre respectively.

The latest increase in the price of fuel is the third this year and Zera hiked the prices in May pegging the price of a litre of petrol at $4,97 while diesel was at $4,89 per litre.

A snap survey by Chronicle in Bulawayo yesterday revealed that some service stations were selling diesel at prices that ranged between $5,89 and $6,15 a litre.  Some were selling petrol for as high as $6,41 a litre.

Total service station at the corner of Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo Street and 15th Avenue, was selling petrol at $6,15 and diesel was at $5,89 per litre.  Trek along Fort Street was also selling petrol and diesel at the same prices.

At Puma along Robert Mugabe Street, petrol although it was not available was selling at $6,41 a litre while diesel was pegged at $6,15.

Along Plumtree Road, Glow Petroleum was selling petrol at $6,41 a litre but there was no diesel.

Petrotrade service station in Matshobane along Luveve Road was selling petrol at $6,30 a litre while diesel was not available while Engen in North End was selling petrol at $6,26 a litre but did not have diesel.

Zuva filling station along Matopos Road near the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair was selling diesel at $5,89 a litre while petrol was pegged at $6,15 a litre.

A comment could not be obtained from Zera chief executive officer Mr Eddington Mazambani as his mobile phone number was not reachable by the time of going to print yesterday.

In May the RBZ said foreign currency for procurement of fuel will now be sourced on the interbank foreign exchange market in order to promote efficient use of foreign currency and curtail arbitrage in the economy.

Previously, oil marketing companies were receiving foreign currency allocations to import fuel from the RBZ at a special rate of 1 to 1 between the US dollar and RTGS dollar.