Fuel sales begin road to recovery

Fuel sales began to recover in May when coronavirus lockdown restrictions started lifting, showing a 57.9 per cent spike over the previous month.

Total sales amounted to 89,120 tonnes, according to data published by the Statistical Service Cystat on Friday.

All fuel sales rose except apart from kerosene and liquified petroleum gas, Cystat said.

Sales from fuel stations in May more than doubled over April amounting to 46,416 tonnes. Sales of gasoline unleaded 95 rose by 129 per cent compared with the previous month while diesel Low Sulphur increased by 88.5 per cent.

Diesel sales reached the pre-covid crisis levels while gasoline unleaded 95 lagged behind pre-crisis levels.

Total stocks of petroleum products at the end of May 2020 fell by 15.5 per cent compared with the previous month.

According to Cystat, compared with May 2019, total fuel sales marked a decrease of 33.4 per cent. Gasoline sales declined by 35.6 per cent and diesel low sulphur by 12.9 per cent, and provisions of aviation fuel fell by 95.4 per cent.

Sales from fuel stations declined by 17.4 per cent in May 2020 compared with the respective period of last year.

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.