BUJUMBURA, April 29 (Xinhua) -- The Burundian government has increased prices of oil products by 20 percent to 30 percent, citing surges of prices on the world market.
The price for gasoline went up by 20.3 percent and for gas oil, 30.1 percent, from the ones set on Jan. 27.
"The increase of prices (in Burundi) has originated from the increase of prices of oil products on the world market. The increase is estimated at over 46 percent," Energy Minister Ibrahim Uwizeye said in a statement on Thursday evening.
"The government has unceasingly taken necessary measures regarding the increase of prices on the world market notably by abandoning some taxes, but this time we are forced to increase the price," he said.
In the commercial capital, Bujumbura, the price of a liter of gasoline went from 2,700 Burundi francs (1.3 U.S. dollars) to 3,250 francs (1.6 dollars) and a liter of gas oil, up from 2,650 francs (1.3 dollars) to 3,450 francs (1.7 dollars).
Burundi raised the prices of oil products last time in January, by about 13 percent amid short supply.
That scarcity of oil products for months has disrupted transport and other activities requiring the use of fuel products. ■