The National Fuel Reform Committee of Ethiopia has decided to continue a ban on building new petrol stations. In its latest meeting, the National Fuel Reform Committee, led by Trade Minister, Gebremeskel Chala, decided to continue the ban on the construction of new petrol stations.
Interestingly, recently, Ethiopian Prime Minister told Addis Ababa government to allocate more land for petrol stations. He wanted this to help reduce the long lines of vehicles waiting to get fuel.
Ethiopian government is keen on introducing and backing the use of electric vehicles, but there are not many charging stations. In January 2024, Ethiopia’s Transport Minister Alemu Sime announced that in future, “A decision has been made that automobiles cannot enter Ethiopia unless they are electric ones.” However, he did not specify when the import ban on combustion engines would apply.
The decision by the committee to uphold ban on new gas stations raises questions about the coordination between different wings of the government.
It will be interesting to see the next step. Will the committee change its mind and lift the ban on building new gas stations? Or will the government focus on building charging stations for electric cars instead?
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