Fuel prices goes up

Zimbabwe's major fuel retailers have raised fuel prices by at least US$0,04 a litre due to a serious shortage of anhydrous ethanol in the country and a surge in international petroleum price.

Government directed petroleum players in the country to blend all petrol using a mandatory blending ratio of five percent ethanol and 95 percent unleaded petrol to stem rising costs. But sources in the industry told this newspaper that there was acute shortage of ethanol, currently being produced by Green Fuel, due to excessive rains and shortage of sugar cane in the lowveld.

A snap survey indicated that at Zuva Petroleum retail outlets, petrol prices went up to US$1,36 per litre on Friday last week, from US$1,31 in December 2016.

Also, the price of a litre of diesel has gone up; it is currently retailing at US$1,21 per litre, from US$1,19 per litre.

Diesel 50 is selling at US$1,28 per litre. Petrol prices at Total Zimbabwe outlets shot up to US$1,36 per litre, from US$1,32 per litre, while the price of diesel increased to US$1,21 per litre, from US$1,19 per litre.