Summary:

On 6 December 2023, long-lines and purchase limits were reported at fuel stations across the capital, prompting union officials to clarify that there was not a labor strike, but a temporary disruption in the supply chain. 

A senior Union Générale Tunisienne du Travail (UGTT) official stated that sufficient supplies were available to meet demand and that additional fuel had recently been imported. 

The head of the Societe Tunisienne des Industries de Raffinage (STIR), Afif Mabrouki, who oversees the import and dispersal of fuel, attributed the supply disruption to the late arrival of a ship at the port in Rades. Mabrouki also asserted that available supplies would normally have met demand if motorists had not flocked to fuel stations out of fear of a shortage, thereby stressing the fragile supply. 

Outlook: 

The latest disruption to fuel supplies is a further indication of Tunisia’s precarious economic condition.  

While labor strikes have led to prior disruptions, this event was prompted by lack of consumer confidence in the supply chain and the supply chain itself which operates very near its capacity to meet demand. 

With funds dwindling, the government’s ability to purchase fuel and other subsidized products like milk, sugar, and flour is severely limited. 

Similar disruptions, prompted by runs on supplies or otherwise, are likely to continue as the government lacks a short-term solution to its mounting financial challenges. 

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