Diesel has risen by 2.40 dirhams in a month and a half in Morocco

A new adjustment took effect this Tuesday, September 1. The price of a litre of gasoil rose by 6 centimes to around 15 dirhams, depending on the brands and cities, while the price of gasoline remained practically unchanged.

This increase appears small when viewed in isolation. Yet it brings the cumulative rise in diesel prices since mid-July to around 2.40 dirhams.

On July 16, gasoil initially rose by 69 centimes per litre, increasing from around 12.61 to 13.30 dirhams at many stations. This adjustment ended several successive decreases recorded at the beginning of the summer.

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Another jump occurred during the night of August 2 to 3: distributors added one dirham per litre of gasoil, bringing its price to around 14.30 dirhams.

Two weeks later, another increase followed. On August 17, diesel rose by an additional 65 centimes and moved closer to 15 dirhams. Gasoline then moved in the opposite direction, falling by around 30 centimes.

With the additional 6 centimes applied on September 1, the succession of increases has therefore reached around 2.40 dirhams per litre in less than seven weeks: 69 centimes in mid-July, one dirham at the beginning of August, 65 centimes in mid-August and 6 centimes at the beginning of September.

From 12.61 to around 15 dirhams per litre

The contrast with the beginning of July is significant. After a 96-centime decrease applied on July 1, gasoil was then selling for around 12.61 dirhams in Casablanca. It is now around 15 dirhams.

Prices have nevertheless remained free since liberalization and may vary depending on distributors, cities and transportation costs.

The latest increase comes in a particular context. Brent crude had fallen by around 5% during the last week of August, while gasoil nevertheless rose slightly at the pump. This development revives recurring questions about the pace at which international fluctuations are passed on to Moroccan prices.

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The surge in recent weeks is weighing particularly heavily on transport professionals, whom the state continues to provide with exceptional aid intended to cushion fuel costs.

Transport operators are simultaneously calling for several changes to Morocco’s road regulations, in a sector where fuel is one of the main expense items.

For motorists, the trend is especially striking when observed over the summer as a whole. After reaching around 12.61 dirhams in mid-July, a litre of diesel is now close to 15 dirhams. In a month and a half, the cumulative increase has thus reached around 2.40 dirhams.