Panic Buying Exacerbates Fuel Shortage In Zambia - Country's Only Refinery Still Shut Down

[hatrack]

LUSAKA (Reuters) - Zambia is rationing fuel following a shortage caused by the closure of its sole oil refinery, with long queues of motorists becoming a common feature amid panic buying across the country, officials said on Tuesday. Zambia shut down its Indeni Oil Refinery on September 1 for 25 days due to crude shortages, energy officials said at the time.

Energy and water development permanent secretary Buleti Nsemukila said Indeni Oil Refinery, which was shut down after running out of crude oil and for routine maintenance, would resume operations by Tuesday next week to ease the shortage.

Nsemukila said the shortage had partly been caused by deliveries of fuel to the copper mines which were given priority by oil marketing companies (OMCs). Nsemukila said the fuel rationing was not a directive from the government.

A few service stations in the capital Lusaka were offering only 10 litres of fuel worth about $18 per vehicle while others completely ran out of petrol as motorists parked their cars and opted to go to work by public transport.

EDIT

http://africa.reuters.com/business/news/usnBAN936169.html

[AlecBGreen]

1. 10 liters

= 2.6 gallons

$18 / 2.6 gallons = $6.81 per gallon

[hogwyld]

2. And how is this going to affect food deliveries?

I'm quite convinced that we are seeing the beginnings of a very chaotic episode of human "development"