AMMAN - Demand for gas cylinders subdued on Wednesday but citizens were still lining up in gas stations particularly for kerosene, according to fuel and gas cylinder providers.
The sector witnessed up to 100 per cent increase in demand for fuel derivatives, especially gas cylinders since last Thursday in anticipation of eminent hike in oil and gas prices.
Hatem Abu Orabi, president of the Gas Stations Owners and Gas Cylinders Agencies Association, said the daily supply of gas for heating and cooking before the crisis started last Thursday was around 9,000 tonnes. This number rose to 15,000 tonnes per day during the week, with an increase in demand of around 70 per cent, he said.
"Yesterday the refinery supplied gas dealers with around 14,000 tonnes of diesel and kerosene, but by the end of this day, we believe this number will drop by 40 per cent," Abu Orabi told The Jordan Times.
A gas cylinder dealer, Abdullah Jizawi, said his average daily sale of gas cylinders is normally 60 and he needs a whole day to sell out.
"Since the word spread that the price of cylinders would double, I needed only 10 minutes to sell out the entire quantity," he said. However, yesterday things went back to normal. "Our pickup trucks are still wandering in the streets in order to sell their loads."
Director of Markets Monitoring at the Ministry of Industry and Trade Imad Tarawneh said inspection teams stationed at the Jordan Petroleum Refinery Company did not receive any complaints yesterday either from citizens or from dealers, a development seen by the official as a sign of return to normalcy.
His department has been on alert to prevent dealers from stockpiling fuel or gas cylinders for profiteering. Several gas station owners and gas cylinder dealers have been referred to judicial authorities for refusing to sell to consumers.
The government will completely lift fuel subsidies after Parliament endorses the state budget, which, in its current form, has no allocation for such subsidies.
By Hani Hazaimeh
© Jordan Times 2008
