Cape Verde Fuel Crisis: Fishermen and Drivers at the Brink
Rising fuel costs in Cape Verde are squeezing the livelihoods of the nation’s essential workers, forcing fishermen to stay in port and drivers to hike fares as families struggle to cover basic commuting costs.
Following a price hike mandated by the Multisectoral Economic Regulatory Authority (ARME) on September 1, diesel and gasoline prices have climbed by an average of 4.51%. Driven by fluctuations in the international oil market, the ripple effect is being felt across the archipelago’s economy, from the docks of Praia to the interior of Santiago Island.
Hardship at Sea
For Carlos Gilberto, a fisherman with 40 years of experience, the math no longer adds up. At the Port of Praia, he watches his margins disappear into his fuel tank. The cost to fuel his vessel with a ton of diesel has surged from 70,000 escudos (approx. $705 USD) to 100,000 escudos ($1,006 USD).
“If we catch 100,000 escudos worth of fish, that only covers the expenses. Nothing is left for the family,” Gilberto said. “The sea is uncertain. Sometimes we find fish, sometimes we don’t.”
The financial pressure is grounding the fleet. Euclides Dias, who owns two vessels, has slashed his weekly trips from three to just one. “The price of fish stays the same,” Dias explained. “If we raise it, no one buys it and the fish spoils.”
Crisis on the Roads
The transport sector is equally strained. João Correia, who has driven collective transport vans known as ‘hiaces’ for 33 years, seen his daily fuel expenditure jump from roughly 2,000 escudos to 3,000 escudos. While he has attempted to raise fares by a modest 20 escudos (18 cents), passengers are pushing back.
“Passengers insist on not paying because it’s already expensive,” Correia said. “But we are in a difficult situation and will have to raise it even more.”
For commuters, the situation is becoming untenable. Liliana Lopes, a mother of four, spends 10,000 escudos a month just to get to work—a staggering sum in a country where the national minimum wage is only 17,000 escudos. Meanwhile, market vendors like Artemisa Ferreira have been forced to cut their supply trips to the capital from four times a month to just one, opting instead to pay others to haul her produce to save on costs.
Calls for Government Intervention
At gas stations, the tension is palpable. “Taxi drivers complain a lot,” said Evilise Melo, a station attendant in Praia. “They are putting in much smaller amounts of fuel than they used to.”
The Cape Verde Association for Consumer Protection (ADECO) has warned that fuel hikes will inevitably trigger inflation in electricity and food prices. While the government has extended electricity tariff discounts until the end of the year to help low-income households, it has yet to announce specific relief for the transport or fishing sectors.
As the costs of movement and production continue to climb, Cape Verdeans are left waiting for a policy response that matches the urgency of their shrinking paychecks.
Image: Pexels – Thomas Schwaak
