Myanmar doubles key fuel prices
Thursday, 16 August 2007
YANGON, Aug 15 (AFP): Myanmar's military government secretly doubled key fuel prices early today, stranding bus operators and commuters across the country's economic hub Yangon as drivers struggled to tank up.
Official media made no mention of the increase, the first in two years, and station operators were at a loss to explain the sudden increase.
Government-run stations doubled their prices for petrol and diesel, while prices for compressed natural gas increased five- fold.
Commuters in Yangon woke up today to find many of them could not get to work, either because they could not afford the increased bus fares or because buses had simply stopped running due to the higher fuel prices.
"We don't know why this happened," one petrol station operator told AFP.
Myanmar's energy ministry tightly rations fuel, with private cars and taxis each allowed only two gallons (7.6 litres) a day.
Official media made no mention of the increase, the first in two years, and station operators were at a loss to explain the sudden increase.
Government-run stations doubled their prices for petrol and diesel, while prices for compressed natural gas increased five- fold.
Commuters in Yangon woke up today to find many of them could not get to work, either because they could not afford the increased bus fares or because buses had simply stopped running due to the higher fuel prices.
"We don't know why this happened," one petrol station operator told AFP.
Myanmar's energy ministry tightly rations fuel, with private cars and taxis each allowed only two gallons (7.6 litres) a day.