The nation’s fuel crisis was brought on by past government decisions to grant supply monopolies, the Prime Minister’s office said tonight.
A spokesman said that the government was talking with other fuel suppliers in an effort to fill the current gap while talks continue with the major supply from, Puma Energy.
He asked the people to bear with the short term situation as the matter was resolved in “the interests of the people of the nation’’.
Supplies to most parts of the capital city dried up today, with only limited stocks of fuel being sold by Mobil at Waigani and Port Moresby. Puma told the Loop PNG that it was a result of the inability to exchange large amounts of kina for US dollars.
A spokesman for the Prime Minister’s office said a short time ago:
“The issue is currently under discussion and further details will be released at the appropriate time.
"The Government is talking to Puma to address issues affecting the supply of fuel.
"The shortage is a result of Puma’s decision to shut down their refinery and this was a commercial decision undertaken by Puma.
"Part of the dialogue is to establish the reasons Puma has made this decision and we expect to reach a conclusion to the discussion soon.
"The reality is that Interoil and Puma were granted monopoly access by decisions of past Governments and these decisions are now coming back to haunt us.
"Government officials are also talking to other suppliers in the country such as Mobil, Shell and Total to fill the gap whilst discussion is being held with Puma.”
“This Government is committed to addressing these issues and we ask people to bear with some shortcoming in the immediate future as this matter is resolved in the interests of the people of the nation.”