Social Solidarity and Domestic Trade Minister Gouda Abdel Khaleq held a conference Thursday morning to discuss the fuel crisis.
Abdel Khaleq stressed in a statement issued by his ministry the need to declare a state of emergency to monitor the markets.
Domestic Trade Ministry sources blamed the Petroleum Ministry for the crisis, saying it does not provide the necessary amount of diesel and gasoline.
The sources said that the Domestic Trade Ministry called on the Petroleum Ministry more than once to increase the quantities of fuel on the market after the former detected a shortage on the market.
The sources said that the Petroleum Ministry could not afford to import raw materials.
Mahmoud Hosny, undersecretary of the Domestic Trade Ministry in Giza said the gasoline and diesel shortage is ongoing in Giza.
“The governorate [Giza] is suffering from a shortage in diesel fuel by 10 percent, which confirms an improvement in the shortage rate, which was previously 15 percent,” he told Al-Masry Al-Youm.
He added that 6th of October City has been facing increased traffic congestion due to the fuel shortage.
When Al-Masry Al-Youm visited gas stations in Cairo and Giza, taxi drivers said they have been standing in queues for two to three hours waiting for gas, accusing the Cabinet and the military junta of failing to solve the crisis.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
