RE: Question27 Jun 2022 13:22
Rabat - Butane gas distributors in Morocco have decided to postpone their strike, saying that the decision is part of an ongoing dialogue with the government to find solutions to their demands.
The Association of Wholesalers of Liquefied Petroleum Gas issued a new press release on Saturday, emphasizing that dialogue with authorities is underway to find “effective solutions” that could save the sector from the crisis.
The association’s statement, however, does not rule out a new date for its postponed strike.
Earlier this month, the association announced a two-day strike scheduled for June 29-30 to protest hiked prices of gas and the authorities’ inaction to meet their demands.
The issues could lead to bankruptcy of wholesale gas distributors amid the absence of resolutions to the challenges facing the industry.
One of the most critical challenges the distributors condemned recently is “the enormous increases experienced by energy materials in Morocco recently, particularly diesel,” the association noted in its previous communique.
The association further argued that it is “impossible” for the distributors to continue the distribution activity amid the current circumstances.
The distributors also complained about the government’s inaction amid the current energy crisis, warning that their potential strike could be extended to more than just two days.
Like many countries, Morocco is facing an energy crisis resulting from both COVID-19 impacts and the Ukrainian-Russia conflict.
The government has been vowing to do “what it can” to resolve the challenges, including the increases in food commodities and energy prices.
Fuel prices experienced alarming increases, ranging between MAD 18 and 16, weighing down the purchasing power of citizens with low and average income.
The government recently announced that it will sign its first purchase contract for liquefied natural gas to meet energy demands, particularly electricity consumption needs.
Morocco’s electricity supply requires half a million cubic meters of natural gas per year. Meanwhile, the country’s overall storage capacity for petroleum products is 1.8 million tons, covering 57 days of national consumption, according to the most recent statistics from the government.