Labour union officials in Tunisia say the country is left with just one-week supply of petrol.
Roads in the country’s capital Tunis are jammed by long queues of vehicles that have lined up waiting in turns to fill their tanks.
Critics of the President Kais Saied led government perceive the situation as one of the public financing crisis that is been experienced in recent times.
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A senior official in the oil subdivision of the UGTT union says a petrol tanker now unloading at Bizerte will give Tunisia extra days of supply.
This can cushion supply to 10 and 14 days in total, a decline from the usual 60 days of strategic reserve, said Salouan Smiri.
Empty shelves in various supermarkets across the country sparked public protests last month.
Tunisia is facing shortages of vital subsidised goods, as government seeks external economic bailout to enable it meet its debt repayments and state expenditure.
“Fuel shortage may continue to worsen if the state does not find enough liquidity to pay for future consignment,” Smiri said in the radio interview.
But the energy minister has denied rumours of shortage and rather attributed the big queues at the various pump stations to consumers panic thereby hoarding supply.
“The reason for the scarcity of fuel is the rush of people….taking more than they need,” she said on Mosaique FM radio.
She however acknowledged that payments are also a contributing factor in delay in supply.
“There is pressure due to the immediate demand for payment that vendors are asking,” she added.
Tunisia government has repeatedly denied it is struggling to pay for goods – such as petrol, flour and sugar.
The government hopes soon to finalize bailout agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a budget support rescue programme.
