Who is to blame for fuel shortages in Juba?

[Elisabeth Janaina]

Who is to blame for fuel shortages in Juba?
Posted: September 11, 2017 by PaanLuel Wël in Commentary, Contributing
Writers, Junub Sudan, Madhieu Thiep Madhieu, Opinion Articles, Opinion
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By Madhieu Thiep Madhieu, Juba, South Sudan
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September 11, 2017 (SSB) — Fuel scarcity in the capital Juba and the
Country at large had been on and off for quite a number of months,
right from 2016 when the country’s currency lost its value until
today. Many businesses including government offices in the Country
have been severely affected by lack of fuel to run the self-owned
generators.

Public transport has mostly been devastated by fuel crises forcing the
majority of the civil population to park their cars and resorted to
footing to and from work places. Students (pupils), elderly and the
sick are the most disadvantaged groups, affected by this endless fuel
crisis as it is harder for them to reach their respective places of
services at the appropriate time.

To make matters worse, the Juba taxi drivers have mercilessly
increased their bus fare beyond expectations and the government seems
not to care for the humble cry of the Citizens. It’s very unfortunate
that our taxi drivers occasionally base their increment on fuel
shortages in the petrol stations, but could not reduce the bus fare
even though there is enough fuel in the market.

It is so eerie Indeed! A lot of petrol stations in Juba are just like
statues; either they are flooded with rain waters or completely shut
down due to fuel crises. So, who is to blame for fuel shortages in
Juba? Should the blame go to Nile pet company responsible for fuel
import or those recidivists selling it at black market?

I think in my own perception, the Government is to carry this blame
because at first, the authority erroneously gave license to Nile pet
Company as the only law firm to supply the country with fuel and
denied private owned- companies. Private companies were supposed to be
permitted to purchase and import their own fuel so that there is the
adequate supply of fuel in the Country.

Fuel shortages have had serious adverse effects on price levels
especially in a landlocked country like South Sudan that has
repeatedly suffered from prolonged fuel shortages and price spikes. By
allowing more companies to import enough fuel, the market will be more
competitive and therefore, shall itself reduce high food prices as a
result of higher transport costs and higher prices of diesel to
operate generators, tractors and irrigation pumps.

For the poor citizens who use transport services, higher transport
costs hindered their daily activities and as such decreases effective
income. Thus, availability of fuel will make public transport cheaper
and afford to common citizens who rely on small earnings.

The government should ensure that sufficient fuel stocks are an
often-used mechanism to protect against supply disruptions. I know
that establishing such stocks is expensive, and as a result, plans to
establish security storage capacity are not necessarily implemented
for lack of financing but the Government should try its extreme best
to avert the culture of fuel shortages in the Country.

It is so much embarrassing that our country has no access to public
electricity supply due to lack of fuel, despite the availability of
power facilities erected previously by the then Sudan Government. The
Government ought to redouble its efforts although there are hardships
in the Country to supply electricity to the residents of Juba in order
to avoid daily scrambling for fuel.

This will not only supply the power to the city but shall also
generate revenue for the Government via electricity taxes. We must
learn to develop our energy sector; otherwise, we will not be happy to
continue living in the city of noisy micro-generators.

The question of who to blame for fuel shortages shall finally rest on
the neck of our Government if there are no proper measures to address
fuel crises.

You can reach the author at madhie...@gmail.com

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