A Look at Fuel Prices in Tanzania vis-a-vis Fuel Price Hike in Kenya

The Energy Regulatory Commission has announced new fuel prices that will be effected from June 15th to July 14th in a move that has seen prices going up.

In these new prices, Super Petrol has increased by 1.92 shillings, Diesel by 3.34 shillings and kerosene by 3.82 shillings per litre respectively. Explaining the increase in Prices, the statement posted on the Commission’s website read, the increase “was a consequence of the average landed cost of imported Super Petrol increasing by 3.64% from US$ 472.95 per ton in April 2016 to US$ 490.18 per ton in May 2016. Further, the average landed cost of imported Diesel during the period increased by 9.19% from US$ 374.60 per ton to US$ 409.02 per ton. In addition, the average landed cost of imported Kerosene increased by 12.63% from US$ 415.75 per ton to US$ 468.28 per ton.”

The table below shows oil prices in major towns in Kenya:

In Tanzania, the Energy and Water Utilities Regulatory Authority announced the new fuel prices on 1st June this year also bringing the oil prices up.  A statement on the authority’s website read, “Both retail and wholesale petroleum products prices in Tanzania Mainland have increased as compared with prices in the publication of 4th May 2016. Retail prices for Petrol, Diesel and Kerosene have increased by TZS 80/Litre (3.69 shillings) or 4.49%, TZS 31/Litre (1.43 shillings) or 1.95% and TZS 29/Litre (1.34 shillings) or 1.84%, respectively. Also, wholesale prices for Petrol, Diesel and Kerosene have increased by TZS 80.12/Litre (3.70 shillings) or 4.78%, TZS 31.20/Litre (1.44 shillings) or 2.09% and TZS 29.10/Litre (1.34 shillings) or 1.98% respectively.

To a large extent, increases in wholesale and retail local petroleum products prices have been caused by continued increase of petroleum products prices in the world market”

In Tanzania, a litre of Super Petrol is retailing at 85.89 shillings, Diesel at 75.21 shillings and kerosene at 74.01 shillings.

The table below shows fuel prices in Kenya and Tanzania;