Fuel rationing begins

PUMA Energy service stations in Port Moresby will not fill up fuel tanks under rationing conditions.
Konedobu Puma service station operations manager Ancie Saesarialml said customers who had a fuel card were allowed to purchase a maximum of K100 fuel only
Saesarialml said cash customers were allowed to purchase a maximum of K50 fuel.
“This foreign exchange issue with Puma Energy has also affected us the dealers and we have no choice but to ration the fuel to ensure everybody can be refuelled,” she said.
Saesarialml said only police and ambulance could get full tanks because of the nature of their jobs.
At Lawes Road, Konedobu, the Puma energy service station site manager Hannah Wale said that the company was trying to control the remaining fuel in their tanks until further stock arrived.
At Hohola Puma service station, assistant site manager Derek Abal said that rationing had affected their business but they would continue to provide fuel until all the fuel in their tanks ran out.
A taxi driver, Robert Nori, said that fuel rationing and increase in the fuel price had also affected their daily taking as they would wait long hours in a line only to make K10 or K20 a trip.
Tokorara Mobil service station pump boy Eliphas Swaiya said they were refueling vehicles with any amount as they did not receive any notice from the company.
Waigani Drive Total Energies service station supervisor Joyce Pomb also said they were carrying out the normal operations at Mobil service stations.
Puma chairman and chief executive officer Hulala Tokome said on Tuesday that the company was continuing to use emergency stocks while it coordinated efforts with the Bank of PNG to get the required FX.
Tokome said the company currently required US$50 million (about K185 million) per month to import fuel.