ULAN BATOR, Aug. 10 (Xinhua) -- Mongolia continues to face fuel shortages amid the peak summer vacation and tourism season, with the back-to-school period also approaching.
Starting Aug. 4, all fuel stations across Mongolia began alternating the days on which they sell gasoline based on whether vehicles have even- or odd-numbered license plates, in accordance with a government decision. Gasoline purchases have also been limited to 50,000 Mongolian tugriks (about 13.8 U.S. dollars) per transaction.
The average retail price of AI-92, the most widely used type of gasoline in Mongolia, is now 2,840 Mongolian tugriks per liter.
The fuel shortage has led to long lines at fuel stations across the country, with drivers often waiting for hours and sometimes being unable to purchase gasoline that day. The situation has sparked growing public criticism and frustration.
According to Gongor Damdinnyam, Mongolia's minister of industry and mineral resources, the ongoing fuel shortage is linked to the Russia-Ukraine crisis and conflicts in the Middle East, which have contributed to instability in global energy markets and could affect fuel supplies.
The Mineral Resources and Petroleum Authority of Mongolia has said that fuel supplies are expected to increase from mid-August, with the situation likely to stabilize.
Mongolia currently has no oil refinery and is entirely dependent on imported fuel, with more than 95 percent of its fuel imports coming from Russia, according to official data. ■
