KHARTOUM, April 3 (Xinhua) -- The Sudanese government is stepping up measures to address a severe shortage of oil products, especially benzine and diesel, in parts of the country including the capital Khartoum.
The Sudanese government on Tuesday held a coordination meeting that brought together ministries of finance and oil and gas, the Central Bank of Sudan, the national petroleum corporation and other bodies concerned.
"The meeting stressed the importance of a quicker move to empty the ships transporting petroleum products at Port-Sudan harbor in eastern Sudan," Sudanese Media Center quoted State Minister for Finance Abdul-Rahman Dirar as saying.
"Ships carrying 160,000 tons of gasoline and 120,000 tons of benzine have arrived at Port-Sudan harbor. The petroleum materials available at Port-Sudan are enough to provide for the country's consumption need," he added.
Meanwhile, Bakheet Ahmed Abdalla, undersecretary of the oil and gas ministry, said his ministry urges fuel distribution companies to direct their agents in the fuel stations not to manipulate the daily quotas.
In a statement published at the ministry's website, Abdalla directed the supply administration at the ministry to punish the violating company with up to withdrawal of the license in case of repeated manipulation by more than one agent.
In Al-Azhary neighborhood south of Khartoum, hundreds of vehicles lined up in front of Bashair fuel station to get fuel, where a number of drivers expressed resentment over the crisis which has continued for more than three days.
"I have been here since 5 o'clock in the morning. The station didn't start its work until 7. I spent more than half a day without getting fuel. It is a real tragedy," Abdullatif Bushra, a taxi driver, told Xinhua.
"I depend on the returns of this taxi. Today I will not be able to work because of the fuel shortage. We do not know the reason behind the crisis or how to solve it," he added.
Ismail Khamis, an official at Bashair fuel station, told Xinhua that they could not get enough fuel due to delay of the trucks from Port-Sudan.
"I think the reason behind the crisis is the stoppage of al-Gaili refinery due to regular maintenance works," he noted.
Al-Gaili or Khartoum refinery, some 60 km north of Khartoum, stopped operation in late March due to regular maintenance works. The capacity of al-Gaili refinery amounts to 95,000 barrels a day.
Following the secession of South Sudan in 2011, Sudan lost around 75 percent of its oil revenues. Sudan is currently producing 115,000 barrels of petroleum products a day.
