by Julius Gale
JUBA, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- South Sudanese President Salva Kiir on Thursday sacked the head of the state oil firm Nile Petroleum Corporation amid severe shortage of fuel in the East African country.
A presidential decree announced on state radio said James Thelweng Mathiang has been removed and replaced by Chol Deng Thon. No reason was given for the sacking.
Thon is the third head of Nile Petroleum in less than a year as the oil company struggles to import subsidized fuel to oil-rich South Sudan.
Since gaining independence in 2011, South Sudan has been grappling with frequent fuel shortages that have crippled business and the transport sector.
The price of fuel in the black market goes for 5 U.S. dollars per liter compared to the subsidized price of 0.15 dollars per liter.
In July, Kiir ordered crackdown on illegal fuel trade, but the move brought little difference as long queues could still be seen in fuel stations across the country.
The war-torn nation depends on oil revenue for 98 percent of its budget, but production decreased significantly due to the civil strife that erupted in December 2013, causing most oilfields in the country's oil-rich northern region to shut down.
This led to a fall in production to less than 130,000 barrels per day (bpd) from 350,000 bpd in 2011.
South Sudan is currently struggling with a hyper-inflation amid shortage of foreign reserves to support imports.
