Authorities in the Central African Republic have announced that they have successfully negotiated an agreement with Rochefort International, the company that owns Total-Centrafrique, to resolve the recent fuel crisis that had affected the country.
The government had suspended the customs operations of Total-Centrafrique after asserting that the company owed more than $3.3 million in oil taxes.
This suspension resulted in the closure of Total’s petrol stations for approximately two weeks, causing a fuel shortage and long queues at the few stations that remained open.
According to Energy Minister Bertrand Arthur Piri, all relevant issues were discussed, leading to the agreement.
Rochefort International will now resume Total’s fuel import operations while entering into discussions with the Ministry of Finance regarding the settlement of its tax debts.
A representative from the energy company expressed satisfaction with the agreements reached with the government.
The fuel shortage forced local taxi drivers to resort to the black market to purchase fuel. Total-Centrafrique, recently acquired by Rochefort International, is a crucial fuel supplier in the Central African Republic.
Source-BBC
