The volume of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), commonly referred to as petrol, experienced a year-on-year decline of 12.6 percent, dropping to 20.29 billion litres in 2023 from 23.24 billion litres in 2022.

This information was released today by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) in its Petroleum Products Distribution Statistics for 2023, which also noted a 16.9 percent decrease in PMS truck volumes, falling to 20.22 billion litres from 24.35 billion litres in the previous year.

In contrast, the volume of Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), or diesel, imported increased to 4.94 billion litres in 2023, up from 3.99 billion litres in 2022.

The report further indicated that local production of AGO reached 109.39 million litres in 2023, marking a 6.76 percent increase from the 102.47 million litres produced in 2022.

Additionally, the locally produced volume of Household Kerosene (HHK) surged by 56 percent year-on-year, reaching 69.7 million litres in 2023, compared to 44.68 million litres in 2022.

However, it is noteworthy that local production of petrol ceased in 2018, with the last recorded output being 128.08 million litres.

The NBS stated: “In 2023, PMS truck volumes stood at 20.22 billion litres, reflecting a 16.96% decrease from the 24.35 billion litres reported in 2022.

Approximately 69.71 million litres of HHK were produced locally in 2023, compared to 44.68 million litres in 2022, indicating a growth rate of 56.02 percent.

For AGO, local production reached 109.39 million litres in 2023, an increase from 102.47 million litres in 2022, representing a growth rate of 6.76 percent.

In terms of imports, 20.30 billion litres of PMS were imported in 2023, down from 23.54 billion litres in 2022, reflecting a decrease of 13.77 percent.

Additionally, 4.94 billion litres of Automotive Gas Oil were imported in 2023, showing a 23.66 percent increase compared to 4.00 billion litres in the previous year.”