YAOUNDE, July 12 (Xinhua) -- Cameroon on Monday announced measures to boost supply of petroleum products amid shortages.
Minister of Water Resources and Energy, Gaston Eloundou Essomba said government was working "to mobilize adequate financial resources" to ensure steady supply of petroleum products in the Central African nation.
"Despite the international situation characterized by the exponential rise in the price of petroleum products, the public authorities continue to take all necessary steps to ensure the continuous supply of the national market," Essomba said in a statement Monday evening.
He said, the country had paid 317 billion xaf (about 485 million U.S. dollars) for the first half of this year on subsidizing fuel so as to stabilize prices at the pump and control inflation.
In June alone, the government spent 80 billion xaf as fuel subsidies he said and added that more petroleum products were on the way.
"Thus, 28,000 cubic meters of super, 22,000 cubic meters of diesel and 12,500 cubic meters of Jet A1 are currently being unloaded and gradually released for consumption. In addition, additional volumes of 88,000 cubic meters of diesel and 35,000 cubic meters of super are available in our waters and will be unloaded in the next few days," Essomba said.
Due to fuel shortages, there have been long queues in front of various gas stations in Cameroon since Saturday. ■
