In a widely shared Facebook post, Elhoussine Elyamani, a leading figure in the Moroccan oil sector, painted an alarming picture of the fuel price situation in the kingdom.
President of the National Front for the Safeguarding of SAMIR and Secretary General of the National Oil and Gas Union, Elyamani puts forward figures which call into question the current pricing of fuels.
According to his calculations, based on the pricing methods in force before 2015, the price of a liter of diesel should not exceed 9.83 dirhams, and that of gasoline 10.92 dirhams for the first half of October 2024 These estimates contrast sharply with the prices displayed at gas stations, where diesel sells from 11.80 dirhams and gasoline at 13.70 dirhams.
Elyamani points out what he considers to be “excessive profits” in the sector, estimating annual profits at no less than 8 billion dirhams. It breaks down the price of diesel, revealing that only 38% is the cost of crude oil, while 22% represents operators’ profits and 38% is attributed to refining, taxes and distribution.
The trade unionist calls on the government to act, suggesting a downward revision of distributors’ margins, a relaunch of refining activity in Morocco via the reactivation of SAMIR, and a reassessment of taxation on fuels.
In his criticism, Elyamani does not spare the current government, accusing it of allowing what he describes as “stealing from the pockets of Moroccans” while advocating a social state. It establishes a direct link between the rise in fuel prices and the erosion of the purchasing power of Moroccan citizens.
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