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Samar authorities seize P3.25-M smuggled cigarettes, arrest 3

Authorities seized alleged smuggled cigarettes worth P3.25 million and arrested three suspects during a joint entrapment operation in Basey, Samar, on Tuesday, Aug. 4, as part of an intensified campaign against the illicit tobacco trade.

Authorities seized alleged smuggled cigarettes worth P3.25 million and arrested three suspects during a joint entrapment operation in Basey, Samar, on Tuesday, Aug. 4, as part of an intensified campaign against the illicit tobacco trade.

The operation took place in Barangay Amandayehan and was carried out by operatives of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group Regional Field Unit 8-Regional Special Operations Team (CIDG RFU 8-RSOT), in coordination with the Basey Municipal Police Station, the Regional Special Operations Team-Regional Maritime Unit 8, the Regional Intelligence Division/Regional Special Operations Unit 8-Team Samar, and the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) Revenue District Office in Tacloban City.

Arrested were a 38-year-old driver from Guiuan, Eastern Samar, identified only as alias ‘Dev’; a 29-year-old unemployed woman known as alias ‘May’; and a 42-year-old driver from Basey identified as alias ‘Rod.’

Police said the suspects were caught with 50 master cases of ‘CANON Menthol’ cigarettes allegedly lacking the required BIR excise tax stamps and graphic health warnings.

Operatives also recovered the marked money used in the entrapment, two mobile phones, and three vehicles allegedly used to transport the contraband-an Isuzu utility vehicle, a Toyota HiAce van, and a Suzuki Traviz utility vehicle.

Brig. Gen. Jason Capoy, director of the Police Regional Office 8, commended the operating units for the successful operation, saying it underscores the police’s continuing efforts to curb illicit trade and protect government revenue.

‘The success of this entrapment operation demonstrates our sustained commitment to combating illicit trade and protecting government revenue from illegal activities. We will continue to strengthen intelligence-driven operations and inter-agency coordination to ensure those engaged in unlawful activities are brought to justice,’ Capoy said.

The suspects were taken to the CIDG Tacloban City Field Unit for documentation and proper disposition.

Authorities are preparing charges against them for alleged violations of Republic Act No. 10643, or the Graphic Health Warnings Law; provisions of the National Internal Revenue Code on excise taxes, as amended by Republic Act No. 11346; and Republic Act No. 7394, or the Consumer Act of the Philippines.

Authorities have intensified their crackdown on the illegal cigarette trade, which they said deprives the government of billions of pesos in excise tax revenues each year while allowing untaxed tobacco products to proliferate in the market

The operation took place in Barangay Amandayehan and was carried out by operatives of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group Regional Field Unit 8-Regional Special Operations Team (CIDG RFU 8-RSOT), in coordination with the Basey Municipal Police Station, the Regional Special Operations Team-Regional Maritime Unit 8, the Regional Intelligence Division/Regional Special Operations Unit 8-Team Samar, and the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) Revenue District Office in Tacloban City.

Arrested were a 38-year-old driver from Guiuan, Eastern Samar, identified only as alias ‘Dev’; a 29-year-old unemployed woman known as alias ‘May’; and a 42-year-old driver from Basey identified as alias ‘Rod.’

Police said the suspects were caught with 50 master cases of ‘CANON Menthol’ cigarettes allegedly lacking the required BIR excise tax stamps and graphic health warnings.

Operatives also recovered the marked money used in the entrapment, two mobile phones, and three vehicles allegedly used to transport the contraband-an Isuzu utility vehicle, a Toyota HiAce van, and a Suzuki Traviz utility vehicle.

Brig. Gen. Jason Capoy, director of the Police Regional Office 8, commended the operating units for the successful operation, saying it underscores the police’s continuing efforts to curb illicit trade and protect government revenue.

‘The success of this entrapment operation demonstrates our sustained commitment to combating illicit trade and protecting government revenue from illegal activities. We will continue to strengthen intelligence-driven operations and inter-agency coordination to ensure those engaged in unlawful activities are brought to justice,’ Capoy said.

The suspects were taken to the CIDG Tacloban City Field Unit for documentation and proper disposition.

Authorities are preparing charges against them for alleged violations of Republic Act No. 10643, or the Graphic Health Warnings Law; provisions of the National Internal Revenue Code on excise taxes, as amended by Republic Act No. 11346; and Republic Act No. 7394, or the Consumer Act of the Philippines.

Authorities have intensified their crackdown on the illegal cigarette trade, which they said deprives the government of billions of pesos in excise tax revenues each year while allowing untaxed tobacco products to proliferate in the market

Signal No. 2 raised over 8 areas as ‘Maymay’ nears landfall

Tropical Storm Maymay (international name: Kujira) maintained its strength Wednesday afternoon as it moved north-northeastward over the sea west of Ilocos Sur, with parts of Northern Luzon remaining under Signal No. 2.

In its 5 p.m. bulletin on Wednesday, August 5, state weather bureau PAGASA said the center of Maymay was estimated at 145 kilometers west of Sinait, Ilocos Sur.

It was packing maximum sustained winds of 75 kilometers per hour, gustiness of up to 90 kph. Maymay was moving north-northeastward at 10 kph.

PAGASA said Maymay may make landfall over the Ilocos Norte-Ilocos Sur-La Union area by Wednesday night or early Thursday before crossing Northern and Central Luzon.

Wind signals

The following areas remain under Signal No. 2:

Southern Ilocos Norte: Banna, Pinili, Badoc, Nueva Era, Sarrat, Paoay, Marcos, Currimao, San Nicolas, Dingras, Solsona and the City of Batac

Ilocos Sur

Northern and central La Union: Luna, Caba, Santol, Bauang, City of San Fernando, San Juan, Bagulin, Aringay, Bangar, San Gabriel, Burgos, Naguilian, Bacnotan, Sudipen and Balaoan

Northwestern Pangasinan: Anda, Bolinao and Bani

Abra

Western Kalinga: Pasil, Tinglayan, Balbalan and Lubuagan

Western Mountain Province: Besao, Tadian, Bauko, Sagada, Sabangan, Bontoc and Sadanga

Northwestern Benguet: Mankayan, Kapangan, Kibungan, Sablan, Bakun, La Trinidad, Tublay, Atok and Buguias

Areas under Signal No. 2 may experience gale-force winds of 62 to 88 kph within 24 hours, posing a minor to moderate threat to life and property.

Meanwhile, the following areas are under Signal No. 1:

Rest of Ilocos Norte

Rest of La Union

Rest of Pangasinan

Apayao

Rest of Kalinga

Rest of Mountain Province

Ifugao

Rest of Benguet

Mainland Cagayan

Isabela

Quirino

Nueva Vizcaya

Northern Zambales: Candelaria, Santa Cruz, Masinloc and Palauig

Northern Tarlac: Mayantoc, San Clemente, Camiling, Santa Ignacia, Gerona, Paniqui, Moncada, San Manuel, Anao, Ramos, Pura and Victoria

Northern Nueva Ecija: Carranglan, Lupao, Cuyapo, Talugtug, Nampicuan, Guimba, Science City of Muñoz, San Jose City, Pantabangan, Bongabon, Rizal, Llanera, Talavera, Santo Domingo, General Mamerto Natividad, Quezon and Licab

Northern and central Aurora: Dilasag, Casiguran, Dinalungan, Dipaculao, Baler, San Luis and Maria Aurora

Areas under Signal No. 1 may experience strong winds of 39 to 61 kph within 36 hours, posing minimal to minor threats to life and property.

Strong winds

PAGASA said the southwest monsoon and the periphery of Maymay will continue to bring strong to gale-force gusts over most parts of the country through Friday, particularly in coastal and mountainous areas exposed to winds.

Sea conditions

A gale warning remains in effect over the western seaboard of Northern Luzon.

Very rough seas of up to 5 meters are forecast over the seaboards of Ilocos Sur, La Union and Pangasinan. PAGASA advised all types of vessels to remain in port or, if already at sea, seek shelter until conditions improve.

Rough seas of up to 3 meters are expected over the seaboards of Batanes, Isabela, Zambales, western Ilocos Norte and Bataan, as well as parts of Cagayan, Aurora, Catanduanes, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur and Davao Oriental. Small vessels, including motorbancas, are advised not to venture out.

Track, intensity

PAGASA said Maymay is forecast to move generally eastward and may make landfall over the Ilocos Norte-Ilocos Sur-La Union area by Wednesday night or early Thursday before traversing Northern and Central Luzon.

The tropical storm is expected to weaken into a tropical depression by Thursday morning and may further weaken into a low pressure area by Thursday afternoon or evening after crossing Luzon.

Brooms, bayonets and bad economics: Mistaking citizens for municipal workers?

Governments often embrace signature projects. Uganda’s mandatory monthly National Cleaning Day, however, revives an older model of state-directed mass mobilisation. Mirroring Rwanda’s Umuganda, it raises fundamental questions about liberty, civic responsibility, and the expanding reach of government. Clean cities are desirable.

Cleaner politics would be even better. The real question is not whether Uganda should be clean. It absolutely should.

The question is whether government should clean Uganda by commandeering the labour of every citizen or by creating an economy capable of employing people whose profession is keeping Uganda clean. That distinction is the difference between a market economy and a command economy.

Older East Africans have seen this movie before. In the 1960s and 1970s, President Julius Nyerere advanced Ujamaa-African socialism-as Tanzania’s development philosophy. Villagization schemes encouraged or compelled citizens into collective organisation under the belief that the State could better direct production and communal life than markets. The intentions were noble.

The economics were not. History remembers Ujamaa less for prosperity than for inefficiency, declining productivity, shortages, and excessive state control over ordinary life. Today’s Uganda is not Tanzania of the 1970s. Nor is a monthly cleaning exercise equivalent to Ujamaa.

Yet ideas matter because governments often reveal their governing philosophy through seemingly small policies. When government increasingly believes that national problems are solved by directing citizens rather than enabling enterprise, one begins to see echoes-not replicas-of the paternalistic state that characterised many post-independence socialist experiments.

The broom is only symbolic. The governing philosophy behind it deserves scrutiny. Economists have a simple observation. Whenever government can obtain labour for free, it has less incentive to build institutions that provide it professionally. Suppose one million Ugandans spend three hours cleaning.

That is three million labour-hours every month. Imagine instead if even a fraction of that effort were converted into paid employment. Thousands of sanitation companies could emerge. Youth-owned garbage collection firms. Community recycling businesses. Waste-to-energy startups. Private drainage maintenance contractors.

Urban landscaping companies. Environmental technology enterprises. Entire industries. Instead, Uganda has chosen the cheaper political option. Free labour. Nothing creates the illusion of governmental efficiency quite like persuading citizens to perform government services themselves. The roads remain unrepaired. Drainage remains poorly designed. Municipal waste management remains underfunded.

The countries admired for their cleanliness are rarely clean because citizens periodically receive orders to sweep. They are clean because markets function. Waste collection is an industry. Recycling is an industry. Environmental services are an industry.

Cleaning employs people. Garbage generates revenue. Innovation reduces waste. Entrepreneurs compete to provide better sanitation services. Government regulates. Businesses deliver. Citizens pay taxes. Everyone wins. That is how mature capitalist economies solve sanitation-not by temporarily converting lawyers, doctors, engineers, accountants and entrepreneurs into municipal employees one Saturday every month.

Uganda should aspire to become a corporate republic, where sanitation itself becomes an economic sector capable of employing tens of thousands of Ugandans. Imagine if government offered tax incentives to sanitation companies. Procurement opportunities to youth cooperatives. Municipal service contracts to startups.

Investment incentives for recycling plants. Innovation grants for waste management technology. The result would be cleaner cities, higher employment and increased tax revenue.

Capitalism, unlike compulsory civic labour, pays people to solve public problems. Uganda’s Constitution protects liberty, movement, and economic activity.

Any recurring nationwide restrictions must satisfy constitutional standards of legality, necessity, and proportionality. Governments should not normalise emergency-style governance for ordinary administration. Civic participation is strongest when inspired by trust, not enforced compliance. This is not an argument against civic responsibility.

Communities should care for their surroundings. Neighbours should organise, schools should teach environmental stewardship, religious institutions should encourage service. Voluntary community action strengthens democracy and compulsory civic labour strengthens the State. Those are different constitutional philosophies.

A confident republic builds institutions that make cleanliness ordinary. An insecure one periodically mobilises citizens to compensate for institutional failure.

Uganda deserves the former. Uganda needs a clean economy, not merely a cleaning day. Create sanitation jobs, strengthen municipalities, and reward innovation.

5 things to know about Elephantiasis

Elephantiasis, medically known as lymphatic filariasis, is a neglected tropical disease that affects millions of people worldwide, particularly in tropical and subtropical regions. The disease damages the lymphatic system and can cause severe swelling of the legs, arms, breasts or genitals, leading to permanent disability if left untreated.

Although elephantiasis is preventable, it remains a public health concern in several countries where mosquitoes transmit the parasites responsible for the infection.

In this article, Tribune Online highlights five important things to know about elephantiasis.

It is caused by parasitic worms spread through mosquito bites

Elephantiasis is caused by microscopic parasitic worms that are transmitted from one person to another through the bites of infected mosquitoes. The parasites enter the body’s lymphatic system, where they can live for years and gradually damage the vessels responsible for draining excess fluid.

People living in areas where the disease is common are at greater risk because repeated mosquito bites over time increase the chance of infection.

Symptoms may take years to appear

Many people infected with the parasites do not develop symptoms immediately. In fact, the infection may remain unnoticed for years while quietly damaging the lymphatic system.

When symptoms develop, they may include severe swelling of the legs, arms, breasts or genitals, thickening of the skin and repeated bacterial infections. Men may also develop hydrocele, a condition that causes swelling of the scrotum.

It can lead to lifelong disability

If elephantiasis is not properly managed, the swelling can become permanent. The enlarged limbs and thickened skin can make walking, working and carrying out daily activities difficult.

Beyond the physical effects, many people living with elephantiasis experience social stigma, emotional distress and financial hardship because the condition may affect their ability to earn a living.

The disease is preventable

The best way to prevent elephantiasis is to avoid mosquito bites in areas where the disease occurs. Sleeping under insecticide-treated mosquito nets, using insect repellents, wearing long-sleeved clothing at night and eliminating stagnant water around homes can reduce the risk of infection.

Early treatment and proper care can improve quality of life

Medicines can kill the parasites in the early stages of infection and help prevent further transmission. However, once permanent swelling develops, treatment focuses on managing symptoms, reducing repeated infections and improving mobility.

Regular washing of affected limbs with soap and clean water, proper skin care, exercise and prompt treatment of bacterial infections can help reduce complications and improve quality of life.

Senate to suspend plenary session at 5 p.m. Wednesday due to bad weather

The Senate will end its plenary at 5 p.m., Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian ruled.

This is due to the inclement weather caused by the combined effects of Tropical Storm Maymay and the enhanced southwest monsoon, or ‘habagat.’

State meteorologists have raised a yellow rainfall warning, indicating heavy rainfall, over Metro Manila in light of the weather conditions

Toronto test awaits as Eala seeks another deep WTA run

Alex Eala gets a welcome breather before launching her National Bank Open campaign on Thursday, but the Filipina tennis sensation knows there will be no easy opening assignment as she takes on dangerous American Alycia Parks in the women’s singles Round of 64 at the Sobeys Stadium in Toronto, Canada.

Fresh from the biggest triumph of her professional career – a historic WTA 500 title in Washington punctuated by a commanding third-set performance against world No. 3 Jessica Pegula – Eala arrives in Toronto carrying more than confidence. She enters the prestigious WTA 1000 tournament as one of the hottest players on tour and, after climbing to a career-high and historic world No. 20 ranking, no longer viewed merely as a rising talent but as a legitimate title contender.

Standing in her way, however, is a formidable opponent in Parks.

Although currently unranked, the 25-year-old American possesses the firepower and pedigree to trouble anyone on the WTA Tour. Parks owns a WTA singles title, a WTA 1000 doubles championship, and multiple WTA Challenger crowns, making her a dangerous first-round opponent despite her current ranking.

Still, Eala enters the estimated 8:10 a.m. (Philippine time) showdown on Centre Court as the favorite.

The 21-year-old Filipina has been playing the best tennis of her career, riding a wave of confidence and solid tennis built on a string of breakthrough victories over some of the world’s elite players. She is also expected to enjoy strong backing from Toronto’s large Filipino community, whose passionate support has become a familiar and energizing presence wherever she competes.

A victory over Parks could quickly set up one of the tournament’s marquee early-round encounters.

Awaiting in the third round could be sixth seed Linda Noskova, provided the Czech star, also 21, gets past American Caty McNally in their second-round match at the Grandstand Court.

Noskova has already enjoyed success against Eala this season, defeating the Filipina in straight sets in the Berlin Open semifinals before capturing the title. The Czech has since continued her impressive rise, thwarting Pegula in the Berlin championship and eventually claiming her maiden Grand Slam championship by overcoming compatriot Karolina Muchova in the Wimbledon final last month.

Should the projected meeting materialize, Eala will have an opportunity to settle the score against one of the tour’s fastest-rising stars.

Recent results suggest she is more than capable of doing just that.

Eala has built a reputation this season for thriving against the game’s biggest names, collecting seven victories over Top 10 opponents and repeatedly proving that rankings and reputations carry little weight once she finds her rhythm.

Her fearless style, growing confidence and remarkable composure under pressure have transformed her into one of the WTA Tour’s most compelling stories.

But before thoughts turn to another blockbuster showdown, Eala must first clear the opening hurdle.

The immediate mission is to get past Parks. If Noskova also takes care of business against McNally, tennis fans could be treated to an early blockbuster between two of the sport’s brightest young stars.

Tanzania’s National Housing is redeveloping aging buildings in Sh535 billion project

The National Housing Corporation (NHC) is redeveloping ageing properties across the country through public-private partnerships (PPPs) worth Sh535 billion, as it seeks to unlock the value of underutilised public assets while creating modern commercial and residential developments.

The programme has expanded to 62 projects nationwide, transforming old buildings in prime urban locations into new business and housing complexes expected to stimulate economic activity, create jobs and improve city landscapes.

NHC Public Affairs and Information manager Mr Yahya Charahani said the corporation’s redevelopment strategy had progressed from planning to implementation, with several projects already completed and many others nearing completion. ‘Out of the first 21 projects, five have been completed and are already operational. Businesses have moved in and some developments are now occupied,’ he told The Citizen.

He said the projects demonstrate how partnerships between the public and private sectors can maximise the value of government-owned land by combining it with private investment, technical expertise and innovation.

‘Through these partnerships, we are transforming underutilised properties into productive assets that contribute to economic growth while providing modern facilities for businesses and residents,’ he said.

According to Mr Charahani, the first phase comprises 21 joint venture projects whose agreements were signed between April and October 2024. Valued at about Sh179 billion, the projects have implementation periods of between two and three years.

NHC’s progress report shows that several developments have already been completed, while most are at advanced stages of construction. Of the 21 projects, three have been completed, 10 have exceeded 80 percent completion, four are between 50 and 79 percent complete, and the remaining four are below the halfway mark.

He said the progress achieved in the first phase had laid a solid foundation for expanding the programme.

Following its initial success, NHC has added another 41 projects, bringing the total number of developments under the programme to 62, with a combined investment value of Sh535 billion.

Among the completed projects is a nine-storey commercial building at Plot 1/19 on the corner of Uhuru and Congo streets in Kariakoo, Dar es Salaam, which is already occupied by businesses.

Kariakoo, Tanzania’s largest commercial hub, has become one of the programme’s key focus areas because of the growing demand for modern business premises.

For decades, many buildings in the area have struggled to meet the needs of a rapidly expanding commercial district, with ageing infrastructure, congestion and limited modern facilities posing challenges to traders and investors.

Under the redevelopment programme, obsolete buildings are being replaced with modern mixed-use developments incorporating office space, retail outlets and accommodation facilities.

Several other projects are nearing completion, including developments at Plot 13/44 on Aggrey and Sikukuu streets in Kariakoo and Plot 26/T on Rwagasore Street in Mwanza, both of which have reached about 99 percent completion.

Other developments in Kariakoo, including those along Congo and Tandamti streets, as well as in the Msimbazi and Swahili-Narung’ombe areas, have recorded progress of between 90 and 96 percent.

Mr Charahani said implementation of the second phase was already underway, with contractors undertaking demolition, site preparation and construction in several regions.

‘The second phase extends the benefits of the programme beyond Dar es Salaam, with projects underway in Mwanza, Arusha, Iringa and other regions to support urban development,’ he said.

He added that, beyond improving urban infrastructure, the projects are creating employment opportunities, with each development engaging between 60 and 80 construction workers during implementation.

Once completed, the new commercial and residential facilities are also expected to generate further employment and business opportunities across the country.

Apple Pay debuts with 4 banks in Philippines

Apple Pay has officially debuted in the Philippines with an initial roster of four partner banks, marking the long-awaited entry of Apple’s mobile payment service into the local market.

The first participating banks are China Banking Corp., GoTyme Bank, Metropolitan Bank and Trust Co. and Union Bank of the Philippines, according to Apple’s Philippine website.

Eligible Visa and Mastercard cardholders of the four banks can now use their iPhone or Apple Watch to pay at contactless terminals. Payments can also be made through supported apps and websites using an iPhone, iPad or Mac.

Visa said the launch marks another step in the country’s transition toward digital payments while making transactions more convenient for both Filipinos and international visitors.

‘Apple Pay represents the next evolution of payments in the Philippines, combining ease of use, simplicity and security in every transaction, helping amplify the payment experience for Visa cardholders in the Philippines,’ Jeffrey Navarro, country manager for Visa Philippines, said.

‘With Apple Pay, Filipinos and tourists alike now have seamless and secure ways to pay across shops, restaurants, travel destinations and public transport, supporting the nation’s vision to become a cash-lite economy.’

Mastercard echoed that view, saying the rollout gives consumers another secure and convenient way to pay as digital adoption continues to gain momentum.

‘As digital adoption continues to accelerate in this region, we’re excited to continue connecting people to the payment choices they want and the peace of mind they need every time they pay,’ Jason Crasto, country manager of Mastercard in the Philippines, said.

Among the first local issuers to support the service is UnionBank, which said the integration aligns with its push to make banking more intuitive and secure for customers.

‘Bringing Apple Pay to UnionBank cardholders enhances the payment experience by allowing customers to pay quickly and securely with the devices they use every day,’ UnionBank president and CEO Ana Aboitiz Delgado said.

‘Whether they’re shopping in-store, online or in-app, customers can enjoy a more seamless way to pay, with the security and convenience they expect from UnionBank,’ she added.

Victory critical to state’s future, says Basiru

The National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Ajibola Basiru, has described the August 15 Osun governorship election as critical to the state’s future, urging party members to brace up for the task ahead.

In a statement issued on Tuesday after a high-level strategic meeting at the APC National Secretariat in Abuja, Basiru called on party leaders to intensify mobilisation efforts, remain united, and work tirelessly to secure victory for the party’s candidate, Asiwaju Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji (AMBO).

He charged party faithful and supporters to stay focused, law-abiding, and committed to democratic values, while encouraging eligible voters to participate peacefully in the poll.

According to the statement, party leaders at the meeting reaffirmed their unwavering commitment to the APC and expressed confidence in its growing acceptance across the state. They stressed that their collective experience, capacity, and resolve would be fully deployed to ensure a successful, issue-based, and peaceful campaign.

The meeting also reviewed the party’s preparedness for the election, deliberating on strategies to strengthen grassroots mobilisation, enhance voter engagement, consolidate party unity, and ensure a coordinated campaign across all local government areas and wards in the state.

Basiru expressed optimism that Osun is poised for a new era of purposeful leadership, inclusive governance, sustainable development, and shared prosperity under Oyebamiji.

He concluded by reminding members that the election is not just about winning power but about shaping the future of Osun State, urging them to redouble their efforts to deliver victory for the APC.

Fuel prices fall across Tanzania as global oil costs ease

Tanzanian motorists and businesses are set to benefit from lower fuel prices after the Energy and Water Utilities Regulatory Authority (EWURA) announced a reduction in the retail prices of petrol, diesel and kerosene for August.

The new price caps, which took effect on Wednesday, August 5, show that petrol prices have fallen by Sh92 per litre, diesel by Sh204 per litre, and kerosene by Sh440 per litre compared to the previous month.

In Dar es Salaam, the maximum retail prices have been set at Sh3,898 per litre for petrol, Sh3,978 for diesel, and Sh4,003 for kerosene.

EWURA attributed the decline primarily to lower prices in the international petroleum market, despite continued price fluctuations linked to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. The regulator said it continues to monitor global market developments and adjust domestic fuel prices in line with its pricing formula.

The revised prices are expected to ease transport and operating costs for businesses while offering some relief to households facing high living expenses.

Lower diesel prices, in particular, could reduce costs in sectors such as transport, agriculture and manufacturing, where the fuel is widely used.

EWURA reminded fuel dealers that they must sell petroleum products at or below the published price caps and display pump prices prominently at filling stations. It also encouraged consumers to compare prices and buy from stations offering the most competitive rates.