Sometimes my buddy Jeremy keeps me updated with current happenings in the states. I know gas hikes are probably discussed quite a bit. Here in Burundi in the last year and a half I've seen at least 4 gas hikes, since my arrival, pushing food cost up along with everything else. I may have already posted about this... I'll have to go back and see. But we did a month without petrol here (the gov simply refused the demands of the gas companies, and they stopped bringing in fuel), diesel to be exact. And we're coming off the strike to higher prices. We're about 10 bucks a gallon for gas, and I don't know what diesel is at. I remember sitting in Environmental science class in 11th grade, and my teacher said "in you're lifetime you can expect to see gas prices reach 10 dollars a gallon." at the time I was paying between 99 cents a gallon and $1.04. I thought to myself after he said that: "no way, who can afford that price. Not in my lifetime." Sure enough I have experienced 10 dollars a gallon, though not in the States yet, and I am sure that many lifestyles are about to change. The year of the motorcycle has begun, as have diesel coversion conversations with friends. We're all discussing possibilities of converting diesel engiens to vegetable oil...
Burundi raises fuel prices by 8 percent
Fri 11 Jul 2008,
BUJUMBURA (Reuters) - Burundi has raised fuel prices an average of 8 percent due to high global oil prices, the government said on Friday.
"We didn't have a choice," Trade Minister Euphrasie Bigirimana told Reuters. "The price of oil is at a record now, and also our local currency is becoming weaker day after day against the U.S. dollar."
Burundi's central bank said annual inflation fell back to 26 percent in May from 27 percent in April. It stood at an average of 18 percent for the first quarter of 2008.
The coffee-growing nation is struggling to emerge from more than a decade of ethnic war that killed some 300,000 people. Landlocked in central Africa, it is largely dependent on imports via Mombasa port on the Indian Ocean coast of Kenya.
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3 comments:
Seth,
Gas and Diesel here has gone way up as well. We don't pay as much as you do but they are saying we will hit $5 by the end of summer. I paid $4.73 a gallon of Diesel but I also got a record 56 miles to the gallon. Go TDI Jetta!
I have been thinking about a little moped but I hear they are hard to get as they are in high demand.
Yes well, I paid $4.19 for gas in my '74 Scout, and after recalibrating the carburetor and power-timing the ignition, I'm up to almost 11 mpg! Go SCOUT! So THERE Pietzold! :D Needless to say the long trips get made in Amy's Honda...
Seth: I didn't get your e-mail for the 2nd time now. Is that on my end or yours with all the communication problems? When you hit my blog button, do you get my e-mail addy in your "To:" field? It's mattg@harvestcc.org
I just returned from Burundi on Wednesday and our host said he had to purchase diesel on the black market. Please look at my blog - http://flmann.blogspot.com/2008/08/back-from-africa.html. I would be interested in talking to you. I plan to return next year with another team.
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