據5月18日All Africa報道，受益于國際市場原油價格下跌，東非不斷擴大的經常賬戶壓力將得到緩解，通脹飆升得到遏制。因為制造商是燃料的最大消費者，因此消費品的成本也可能下降。

然而，由于缺乏戰略儲備設施，該地區無法充分利用當前低油價形勢，積累儲備。不過，即使國際市場油價從目前每桶26.10美元的低位反彈，油價還能在低位持續更長的時間。

石油行業專家喬治 瓦奇拉(George Wachira)表示:“因為缺乏石油存儲設施，東非地區錯過了一此儲備石油的機會。”

5月14日，肯尼亞能源和石油監管局(EPRA)公布了最新的最高石油批發和零售價格，柴油和汽油價格大幅下降，創下該國10多年來燃料價格的最大降幅。

在最新的評估中，柴油零售價格每升下跌19.19肯尼亞先令(合0.17美元)至78.37肯尼亞先令(合0.72美元)。超級汽油的零售價每升下降了9.5肯尼亞先令（0.08美元）至88.33肯尼亞先令（0.82美元）。

報告顯示，4月份進口的穆爾班原油的FOB價格為每桶17.64美元，較3月份的每桶35.58美元下跌50.42%。

王佳晶 摘譯自 All Africa

原文如下：

East Africa: Low Crude Oil Prices to Ease Production Costs in East Africa

East Africa stands to benefit from the drop in crude oil prices at the international market as it would ease pressure on widening current accounts and arrest a surge in inflation. The cost of consumer goods could also reduce as manufacturers are some of the heaviest consumers of fuel.

However, lack of strategic reserve facilities means the region can't take full advantage of the low prices--caused by the Covid-19 pandemic--and build up their stockpiles, which would guarantee the benefits last longer even when prices at the international market rebound from the current low levels of $26.10 per barrel.

"The East African region has missed an opportunity for stockpiling because there are no facilities," George Wachira, an oil industry expert, told The EastAfrican.

Kenya recorded the biggest drop in fuel prices in over a decade last week on May 14 after the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) unveiled new maximum wholesale and retail petroleum prices with the cost of diesel and petrol coming down drastically.

In the latest review, the cost of diesel reduced by Ksh19.19 ($.17) per litre to retail at Ksh78.37 ($.72) while the price of super petrol declined by Ksh9.5 ($.08) to retail at Ksh88.33 ($.82).

The review shows that free on board prices of murban crude oil imported in April were at $17.64 per barrel, a decline of 50.42 per cent from $35.58 per barrel in March.