Mozambique has enough fuel to meet domestic demand until early May, officials said on Tuesday as the closure of the Strait of Hormuz amid escalating conflict in the Middle East threatens to choke off roughly 80 percent of the country’s imported supplies.
Secretary of State for the Treasury and Budget Amílcar Tivane said the country currently holds 75,000 tonnes of fuel, with an additional 85,000 tonnes stored offshore that can be cleared if needed.
He warned, however, that the government is preparing contingency plans should the disruption in the Strait – a key global energy corridor – become prolonged.
The strait was shut after Iran retaliated against US and Israeli strikes by blocking the waterway and launching attacks across the region.
The route carries about 20 percent of the world’s oil and Mozambique relies heavily on Middle Eastern shipments that pass through it.
Tivane said authorities are exploring alternative supply routes and working with importers to secure future deliveries.
He added that current pump prices will remain unchanged until the end of April because existing stocks were purchased before the conflict drove global prices higher.
JN/APA