The government of Ethiopia has revised the price of petrol for the second time in a month, increasing it from 21.57 birr to 25. 82 birr per liter.
The fuel price hike is accompanied by an increase in the prices of food items, leaving the majority of the Ethiopian population at economic burden.
“In a virtue of one month the fuel price was increased twice, it’s sad and disheartening,” said Meseret Gebre, a Taxi driver in Addis Ababa.”It is we the poor masses that are suffering,” he added.
The government provided no explanation as to why it increased the price of petrol twice in a month while the fuel price in the international market remains unchanged.
Ethiopia, however, is considered as one of the few African nations where a liter of petrol was sold at less than half a dollar until the end of last year.
Last year, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said the government could not afford to subsidize petrol any more as the coronavirus pandemic battered the economy.
