ATRACO calls for reduction in fuel prices

As the government and other stakeholders prepare to meet this week to discuss and deliberate on fuel pump prices, ATRACO a local taxi travel agency has urged government to reduce prices. The meeting between government and dealers has been induced by the global oil prices that have continued to fall in past few weeks on international market below $76 (Rwf44, 156) a barrel from $86 (Rwf 51,709). “If the meeting finds it necessary to reduce the fuel prices, it would be very helpful because the transport fares would also reduce,” said Twahirwa Dodo, the president of ATRACO. Twahirwa said that the government had in recent past increased fuel prices thrice while taxi operators have been barred from hiking the fares on all the three occasions. “The fuel price hike has affected us greatly forcing us to register losses in our business,” twahirwa emphasized. Both the regulators and the operators have previously agreed to increase the taxi charges on condition that a litre of fuel goes for Rwf1,000 and according to ATRACO, it is almost getting there. However, ATRACO has not yet received the invitation to the forthcoming discussions but if they get invited and prices are not reduced, they would request for an increase on fares as well. Officials also added the reduction on fares would be depend on how much would be reduced on fuel prices. Last month, pump prices increased from Rwf918 to Rwf940 for both petrol and diesel per liter being the first highest pump price the country has ever experienced and the increase was attributed to the hike of a barrel on the international market from $70 (Rwf40,880)to $89 (Rwf51,709). Also in the recent past, concerned government departments and fuel dealers have been engaged in stretched ‘internal discussions’ aimed at regulating, or even abating, the spill-over effect of what is now a worrying global oil crisis. Officials at the Ministry recently revealed that a policy is ready and being debated, so that local prices are protected in circumstances of hikes on the international and region market to protect Ends

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ATRACO calls for reduction in fuel prices