The Government of Sierra Leone has said that it has no plans to increase prices of petroleum products in the country.

The Ministry of Trade and Industry disclosed this after a meeting on Monday with the leadership of the Sierra Leone Petroleum Dealers and Transporters Union (SLPDTU).

Sierraloaded reported how residents of Freetown woke up on Monday morning without no means of commercial transportation, as Poda Poda drivers, bus drivers, taxi drivers and others staged a sit at home strike.

According to various reports gathered, the commercial drivers are on strike as a result of the constraints they are faced with buying fuel from fuel stations across the country.

The commercial drivers accused fuel station owners of deliberately not selling fuel to them and overcharging them for fuel.

However, after the meeting on Monday,

The Ministry of Trade and Industry informed that the Government met with petroleum dealers and transporters and discussed the ongoing crisis in the distribution and sale of petroleum products and agreed on the following:

i. That there is adequate stock of petroleum products in the Country.

ii. That there is no imminent increase in the prices of petroleum products and no need for panic buying by the Public.

iii. Government has noted concerns raised by the TDU and is committed to addressing them as soon as possible

iv. That all Dealers are hereby urged to resume the sale of petroleum products with immediate effect

v. That the Public is assured of Government’s commitment to ensure the sustained availability of petroleum products in the domestic market, in spite of current global challenges affecting the Petroleum Industry