Dar es Salaam — Minister of Energy Deogratias Ndejembi held his second high-level engagement with Tanzania’s petroleum sector on March 5, 2026.
He met with the Tanzania Oil Marketing Companies Association (TAOMAC) to discuss strategies for strengthening oversight, efficiency and development of the fuel industry as a widening conflict in the Middle East threatens to upend global energy markets.
The meeting, held in Dar es Salaam, was also attended by the Director General of the Energy and Water Utilities Regulatory Authority (EWURA), Dr James Mwainyekule; the Chief Executive of the Petroleum Bulk Procurement Agency (PBPA), Bruno Tarimo; and the Commissioner for Petroleum from the Ministry of Energy.
Both sides discussed a range of issues aimed at improving governance and fostering strategic cooperation between the government and private sector operators in the fuel industry.
The March 5 session followed a similar emergency summit convened by the minister on March 4, at which oil marketing companies (OMCs) and key regulatory institutions were brought together to map out the government’s contingency response to the crisis.
READ MORE: Tanzania Convenes Emergency Fuel Sector Summit as Middle East War Rattles Global Oil Markets
At that meeting, Ndejembi assured industry players of the government’s full cooperation while issuing a firm reminder that compliance with industry laws remained non-negotiable.
“The government is vigilant, organised and has done everything possible to ensure the security of fuel supply,” he said. “It is my call upon everyone to abide by the industry’s operational laws.”
Industry voices have so far struck a cautious but measured tone. Agustino Mmasi, Secretary General of the Tanzania Petroleum Service Station Owners Association (TAPSOA), told TBC1 that the conflict had not yet affected official pump prices in the country, characterising the current situation as more of an economic war than a direct disruption to physical supply.
He explained that fuel purchases are driven by global market dynamics rather than direct bilateral trade, meaning that any price changes would depend on how international markets evolve.
READ MORE:Tanzania Launches US$265M Oil Terminal to End Fuel Shortages and Cut Costs
He noted that fuel currently available at the pump was sourced from reserves procured in December 2025, and cautioned citizens against panic-buying or hoarding, warning that such behaviour could itself trigger artificial shortages.
The backdrop to these measures is a global energy market in acute distress. Brent crude briefly touched US$82 per barrel on March 3 after the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran, killing Iran’s Supreme Leader and triggering a fierce Iranian counter-offensive involving more than a thousand missiles and drones.
Iran has warned vessels against transiting the Strait of Hormuz — the narrow waterway through which approximately 20 per cent of the world’s oil and gas passes. As a result, international shipping has ground to a near standstill.
Danish container giant Maersk has announced it will reroute vessels around the Cape of Good Hope rather than through the Suez Canal.
QatarEnergy temporarily suspended liquefied natural gas production after drone strikes targeted its facilities, sending Europe’s benchmark gas price up by as much as 50 per cent in a single session.
READ MORE: Tanzania Issues Security Alert as Middle East War Escalates
Global fuel prices had already risen 13 per cent in the week preceding the ministerial meetings — a figure cited by President Samia Suluhu Hassan on March 3 when she laid the foundation stone for a major new petroleum storage facility at the Port of Dar es Salaam.
The project, valued at Sh678.6 billion (approximately US$265 million), will double the country’s oil handling capacity upon completion in February 2027.
“Given current global energy disruptions, it is vital that Tanzania strengthens its capacity to withstand external shocks,” President Samia said. “We must ensure that our energy security is not compromised and that supply remains stable for Tanzanians.”
