Rabat, April 14 (EFE) - Leila Benali, Morocco's Minister of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development, announced that the country has enough diesel reserves to last for 47 days and gasoline supplies for over 49 days, despite supply disruptions caused by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. During a parliamentary session on Monday, Benali emphasized that Morocco is experiencing a "very different situation" compared to other nations, attributing this stability to effective coordination among various stakeholders to ensure a continuous supply, thereby preventing any national shortages.
The minister highlighted the government's efforts to control profit margins and promote market transparency, aiming to protect consumers from unjustified price hikes. Earlier this month, on April 2, Morocco declared its decision to inject 1.648 billion dirhams (approximately $175 million) monthly in subsidies to stabilize energy product prices against the backdrop of the ongoing conflict in Iran and the closure of Hormuz, which have significantly increased international costs.
As part of this initiative, the state will cover 78 dirhams ($8.31) for each 12-kilogram butane gas cylinder, resulting in a monthly subsidy of 600 million dirhams (around $63.47 million) for this product alone, while maintaining its retail price at 50 dirhams ($5.19) for domestic use. Furthermore, both residential and industrial electricity tariffs will remain frozen despite rising costs of fuel oil, natural gas, and coal, with monthly subsidies amounting to 400 million dirhams (about $42.7 million).
In addition, tens of thousands of professional transporters will receive 3 dirhams per liter of fuel consumed from March 15, when gasoline prices increased by 2 dirhams in Morocco, until April 15, totaling 648 million dirhams (approximately $69.24 million). This measure is designed to keep transport tariffs for both people and goods stable, thus helping to control the prices of these commodities in the markets. As reported by swissinfo.ch.
