Zimbabwe increases petrol, paraffin price

Harare - Zimbabwe's national oil company sharply hiked the price of petrol and doubled the price of paraffin yesterday, blaming…

Harare - Zimbabwe's national oil company sharply hiked the price of petrol and doubled the price of paraffin yesterday, blaming rising costs of crude oil imports and currency devaluation. The National Oil Company of Zimbabwe increased the prices of petrol and diesel fuel by 41 and 54 per cent respectively. Paraffin, used for cooking by the majority of the low-income population in urban areas, went up by 101 per cent.

Zimbabwe is experiencing its worst economic crisis, with acute fuel shortages. Long fuel queues are a daily reality.

The government yesterday listed 410 commercial farms it intends to seize for resettlement by landless blacks - but more than 10 per cent of them are registered in the names of black owners.