She said that this put them under pressure to meet the high demand. She added that many of their customers wanted to stock the fuel that so they could sell it later at new prices. However, she could not say how many litres of fuel have been ordered. She stressed that the pre-orders were abnormally highly following the announcement of new fuel prices on Monday. "We supply 24 hours, but if by 1am Tuesday night we have not supplied the orders, we would bill them with the new rates. That is how it works. They (filling stations) would also win if the fuel reaches them before 1am on Tuesday."
However, the BP spokesperson said their large consumers such as the mines have not made rush orders.
"We supply them on Mondays only." BP are currently supplying all Debswana mines in the North and South, the BCL mine, as well as new copper mines at Dukwi and Matsitama. Another fuel company, Shell Oil Botswana which supplies Government's Central Transport Organisation (CTO) said it did not have ample time to buy bulk fuel ahead of the new prices because it was only announced on Monday.
Eric Galotshoge, Shell Oil Botswana external affairs manager said customers did not make rush orders ahead of the price hike. "I think they knew that they had little to do in as far as taking advantage of the prices is concerned. Our policy is that we try to deliver within 24 hours around Gaborone, and the hours increase as you move further from Gaborone, so trying to cash in on that situation would be impossible, hence the quiet reaction," explains Galotshoge. However, he said if the price increase was announced a few days earlier, there would be a rush.
"I think the government is smart. They want to avoid these things so that they announce it just a day before the new prices could be effected," Galotshoge said.
Fuel prices have gone up because of increases in the cost of crude oil in the international market. The Ministry of Minerals, Energy and Water resouces said crude oil prices for the period under review fluctuated between $60 (about P370) per barrel to $69 (about P425.7) per barrel, resulting in negative impact on the local petroleum prices.
In the new adjustment in Botswana, unleaded and leaded petrol have gone up by 25 thebe per litre, while diesel increases by 20 thebe per litre. Illuminating paraffin goes up by 27 thebe per litre.
After reducing the price of fuel in March this year, government has brought the new prices of fuel slightly closer to where they were prior to the price cut. Petrol was in March cut down by 30 thebe per litre.
Users of illuminating paraffin have the highest increase this month. In the last adjustment, paraffin was reduced by 20 thebe per litre, but now it increases by 27 thebe per litre.
