Prime Minister Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips says the government is closely monitoring a temporary disruption in fuel supplies and has assured the public that there is no need for panic buying or hoarding as new shipments are already entering the country.
In a statement on Monday, Phillips said the government became aware of growing public concern over fuel availability and moved to engage importers on the issue.
According to the Prime Minister, consultations with fuel companies revealed that one major importer had experienced a delay in its shipment. He said that the shipment has since arrived and is being discharged.
Phillips said importers have assured the government that the situation will stabilise quickly, with fuel consignments already landed on Monday afternoon and more shipments expected on Tuesday and later in the week.
He stressed that adequate supplies are entering the system and said the current disruption is only temporary.
“I wish to emphasise that there is no need for concern, panic buying, or hoarding,” the Prime Minister said.
He also warned consumers against storing gasoline in unsuitable containers, noting that petroleum products are highly flammable and must be handled with extreme caution.
Phillips said improper storage increases the risk of fire, injury, loss of life, and damage to property.
The Prime Minister said the government will continue to monitor the situation and take whatever steps are necessary to ensure stable and reliable access to fuel nationwide.
According to the schedule released by the government, the Guyana Oil Company is expecting 9,000 barrels of diesel and 21,000 barrels of gasoline to arrive on April 15 for offloading on Thursday morning.
SOL Guyana has already received 3,000 barrels of gasoline and 14,000 barrels of diesel, both of which arrived on April 13, with discharge underway and distribution expected to begin Monday evening.
SOL is also expecting another 12,000 barrels of gasoline and 6,000 barrels of diesel on April 14.
Meanwhile, Rubis Guyana received 10,000 barrels of gasoline, 6,700 barrels of low sulphur diesel and 4,500 barrels of ultra-low sulphur diesel on Monday afternoon.
The company is also expecting a further 10,000 barrels of gasoline, 18,000 barrels of diesel and 3,000 barrels of avjet on Tuesday.
