ADDIS ABABA, April 29 (Xinhua) -- The Ethiopian government announced Wednesday the full restoration of daily diesel supply to levels before supply disruptions triggered by the Middle East conflict.
Ethiopian Finance Minister Ahmed Shide told reporters that the disruptions caused by the conflict in the Middle East have driven a sharp rise in global fuel prices and severely strained international fuel supply chains.
Shide noted that at the peak of the disruption, the East African country's daily diesel supply fell by half to approximately 4.5 million liters.
The finance minister highlighted that the government has been importing fuel at higher prices through special procurement arrangements to cushion the domestic economy from external shocks.
Announcing that the daily diesel supply will now be restored to the previous about 9 million liters of daily supply, Shide said that shipments from the neighboring Djibouti began on Wednesday, with distribution to regions to start on Thursday.
He also confirmed that supplies of gasoline and jet fuel are being maintained at their previous levels.
According to Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, the current global fuel crisis has forced his government to spend 20 billion birr (about 128 million U.S. dollars) each month on subsidies to ease pressure on the country's economy and general public.
In a statement issued Wednesday, the Ethiopian Government Communication Service said recent development projects on hydro-power, wind, solar, and geothermal energy have strengthened the East African country's energy resilience amid ongoing global fuel supply challenges. ■
