‘Insignificant’ gasoline price drop triggers social media mockery

AMMAN — Facebook users on Thursday mocked the government’s reduction of gasoline prices by merely about five fils per litre. 

On Wednesday, the government reduced the price of one litre of unleaded 90-octane gasoline from JD0.560 to JD0.555 and one litre of unleaded 95-octane gasoline from JD0.725 to JD0.720. The drop of five fils was equivalent to a tarifa, a coin that was discontinued in Jordan decades ago.

“The good thing about the government’s decision is that it has reminded Jordanians of something from our heritage. Still, it would have been better not to have reduced gasoline prices at all rather than this insignificant change,” Ahmad Faraijeh said in a post on his Facebook timeline on Thursday.

Alaa Halawe joked on Facebook on Thursday that the slight drop “shows the government’s deep understanding of our difficult economic conditions”.

Others believed that the drop was very slight because the government appeared to be making plans to increase prices of fuel derivatives in winter.

“I think the drop this time was meaningless because it was the last one. It is meant to prepare us for an  increase in prices as winter approaches,” Islam Darakjeh suggested in a post on Thursday.

On Wednesday, the government also introduced a slight increase in prices of some fuel types.

The price of one litre of diesel and kerosene will rise to JD0.410 from JD0.405.

Under the new pricing list, the price of the 12-kilogramme gas cylinder, used for cooking and heating, will fall to JD7 from JD7.25.

Prices of oil derivatives in the local market are calculated monthly based on international oil prices, taking into account additional costs such as shipment, handling and taxes.