Vehicles lined up to buy Petrol
Mizzima
Petrol is being resold on the black market in Myanmar for almost double the normal price.
Petrol stations are charging between 2,100 and 2,500 kyats a litre, but resellers are charging between 4,000 and 5,000 kyats a litre.
92 and 95-octane petrol is particularly scarce, meaning that desperate car drivers who cannot get fuel at petrol stations are having to turn to the black market.
A local trader said: “I work as a vegetable vendor and I need to wake up early to buy goods from the wholesale market for resale at a local market. Since I have to buy vegetables in the morning and have limited time I end up purchasing fuel from resale vendors at prices ranging from 4,000 to 5,000 kyats per liter, depending on the type of fuel.”
Motorcycle drivers are buying petrol from people reselling petrol from shops in their local neighbourhoods.
A motorcycle sidecar driver explained: “Petrol stations do provide petrol to motorcycle drivers, but they impose a limit of 4,000 kyats per purchase and you have to wait in line for an excessively long time. Some people who used to operate motorcycles have now shifted to queuing for fuel and subsequently reselling it at 5,000 kyats per litre.”
Fuel has been in short supply throughout the country for over a week and the shortage is still ongoing.
The junta has claimed that petrol tankers from abroad are currently arriving at Thilawa Port and further arrivals are due.
