The president of the Trade Union Chamber of distributors of wholesale domestic gas bottles, Mohamed Mnif, affirmed that it is inconceivable and unacceptable to take advantage of the gas shortage to increase its price to 30 dinars, especially with the arrival of the cold snap. In this context, he denied rumors according to which the crisis was intentionally created for this purpose.
During his appearance this Saturday on a private radio station, Mnif explained that the crisis began due to the delay of the ship coming from Algeria to the port of Bizerte, caused by bad weather conditions, as well as by the The explosion in Radés of a gas depot operated by Agil, the largest fuel distribution company in Tunisia. These factors contributed to the reduction of production from three lines to just one, unable to compensate for the drop in production.
Comparing current production to that of the previous year, Mnif indicated that following the incident which occurred in March 2024, the Radès filling center is currently recording a production loss estimated between 10,000 and 15,000 bottles per day, whereas it was previously capable of producing between 180,000 and 200,000 bottles per day, without any alternative to compensate for this reduction in capacity.
In this same context, he recalled that during a meeting with the Ministry of Energy, it was emphasized that the situation was urgent and could not tolerate administrative delays. The ministry insisted on the need to take necessary measures to resolve this crisis.
-On another level, Mnif pointed out a problem linked to drivers of hazardous materials, explaining that the regulations require an educational level equivalent to the ninth grade, which is not respected by all drivers.
In this same context, he returned to the decision of the Ministry of Commerce stipulating that a gas truck cannot leave without submitting a list specifying the locations and quantities to be delivered, describing this measure as impracticable. “The person or manager who made this decision is not an actor on the ground and seems totally disconnected from reality. Unfortunately, on the ground, this decision is often neglected and not put into practice”.
To reassure citizens, he concluded by indicating that the situation should return to normal soon with the planned arrival of 12 new ships, according to the Ministry of Energy.
