Senegal raises regulated fuel prices

On 14 August 2026, Senegal’s government announced increases in regulated pump prices for two key automotive fuels, effective 15 August 2026. The retail price of supercarburant (premium gasoline) is set at 990 F CFA per litre, an increase of 70 F CFA. The price of gasoil (diesel) is set at 755 F CFA per litre, an increase of 75 F CFA. Authorities describe the move as a partial, technical re‑adjustment to restore prices to levels in place before a reduction applied on 6 December 2025.

Officials state that prices for other petroleum products are unchanged by this measure. In particular, domestic cooking gas and motor fuel used by artisanal fishing pirogues are excluded from the adjustment. The decision therefore focuses on road transport fuels while maintaining existing price conditions for households and small‑scale fishing activities.

The government indicates that, even after the price increases, the state will continue to subsidise fuel because regulated pump prices remain below estimated import costs. Published benchmarks put the import cost for supercarburant at 1,019 F CFA per litre and for gasoil at 1,044 F CFA per litre. This gap between import benchmarks and new pump prices implies continued public support on every litre sold of these products.

Authorities frame the decision as a response to a sharp rise in international oil prices following a Middle East shock. They present the adjustment as a way to partially share higher global costs between the state and consumers, while still absorbing a portion of the burden through ongoing subsidies. The government characterises the move as technical rather than a full liberalisation of fuel prices.

Officials report that Senegal has already spent more than 245 billion F CFA on fuel subsidies since the start of 2026. Without the August re‑adjustment, the government estimates it would have needed to mobilise an additional roughly 47 billion F CFA between 15 August and 12 September 2026 to maintain previous pump prices. This short‑term projection underscores the budgetary pressure created by elevated international oil prices under a subsidised price regime.

The authorities also present forward‑looking estimates for the full year’s subsidy exposure. They state that, absent the adjustment, annual energy subsidies could have climbed toward about 1,069 billion F CFA in 2026, compared with 250 billion F CFA originally budgeted. By raising pump prices for premium gasoline and diesel, the government estimates it can reduce the subsidy burden by roughly 9.7 billion F CFA per month, helping to contain this projected overshoot while keeping some support in place.