As the government convened with high-ranking officials in Waigani to address rising fuel prices, commuters are already shouldering the burden of unauthorised increases in bus fares.
Commuters travelling to and from work including students have seen a fifty percent increase in the usual bus fare rates. Even buses are not completing their routes but are charging double the price as PNG goes into the second day since Independent Consumer and Competition Commission announced the increase in the prices of fuel. Petrol is now selling at K6 per litre while diesel is going for K7 per litre.
ICCC also announced that the illegal increase in bus fares is a summary offence and the offender can be charged K10,000 under the Price and regulation Act 2025.
Racing to address this issue, Prime Minister James Marape announced yesterday that a subsidy of K1 billion will be made available and paid to the fuel suppliers and distributors in the country.
“We will pay them (suppliers) the money. The government will give them the money so they don’t pass on the burden to our consumers,” Marape said.
He said the cabinet decided to subsidize fuel prices to assist citizens.
Marape added that his government has experience in running the country through hard times referencing back to the Covid 19 outbreak era.
He further stated that the country has fuel supply that can last until May 2026 and they are working with partners in the likes of Puma Energy to source fuel utilizing the subsidy from the government.
