The manipulation of liquefied natural gas prices by Houthi rebels has led to a drastic rise in the prices of gas canisters, 60 percent of which are sent to areas under insurgent control.
This has led the prices to rise more than 400 percent from 1,200 Yemeni riyals ($4.8) to 5,000 riyals ($20).
Undersecretary of Oil and Minerals Ministry Eng. Shawqi al-Mekhlafi told Asharq Al-Awsat that the legitimate government has been taking care of all the Yemenis.
Based on this responsibility, the Yemen Gas Company (YGC) provided the entire country with domestic gas, but the Houthi militias have systematically destroyed the institutions and practiced illegal bill collection and competition in the black market, leading to unreasonable prices.
Mekhlafi pointed out that the official prices are still the same and have not been modified by the Ministry of Oil, which is currently producing about 75 gas tank trucks, each loaded with 25 tons of gas. One ton is used to fill 86 canisters, distributed according to the density of the population in each governorate and city.
He said that the official price of the gas cylinder is 1,200 Yemeni riyals ($4.8), and this price goes to all Yemeni provinces, including areas that fall under the control of Houthis and Saleh’s forces.
Those areas receive more than 60 percent of the volume of production, Mekhlafi added.
In the worst case scenario, the price of each gas canister in the liberated areas amounts to 1,500 riyals ($6), Mekhlafi explained, noting that in areas under the control of the militias the prices have amounted to 5,000 Yemeni riyals ($20) in recent weeks.
He stressed that the legitimate government, in cooperation with the Saudi-led Arab coalition and the United Nations, allows vessels carrying petroleum products to dock at the port of Hodeidah, but the Houthi militias sell the shipments double the price.
