Syrian Arab News Agency S A N A
Damascus, SANA – The performance of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Ministry and its efforts to meet citizens’ diesel, gasoline (benzene) and fuel needs were discussed during the fifth session of the People’s Assembly third ordinary round of the second legislative term, chaired by its Speaker Hadiyeh Abbas.
The Assembly members criticized congestions at fuel stations in the provinces, stressing the need to find an urgent and quick solution to provide provinces with their needs of this material.
They also called for holding manipulators accountable for causing congestions in fuel and diesel materials, noting that thousands of agricultural and industrial facilities have suspended production due to fuel shortage.
Responding to the Assembly members’ questions, Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Ali Ghanem attributed the congestions in distributing the oil products to the delay in imports’ shipments.
He noted that the imports plan will get better and the fuel crisis will reduce starting from next week which will positively reflect on the distribution of oil products.
Minister Ghanem added that a plan has been set to increase the number of fuel stations and the establishment of new ones in Damascus, Sweida, Tartous, Hama and Homs.
The minister explained the current situation of oil production which does not exceed 3000 barrels per day while the amount of gas produced per day reached 6.6 million cubic meters.
He said that the direct and indirect losses of oil sector since the beginning of the crisis in Syria are estimated at USD 65 billion, pointing out that the daily needs of diesel ranges between 5.5 to 6 million liters, 4.3 million liters of gasoline, 1300 tons of domestic gas and 6500 tons of fuel material.
R.Raslan/Mazen
