Sao Tome, Sao Tome spent US$38.7 million on acquiring fuel, which was the country’s biggest import in 2012, the archipelago’s National Statistics Institute (INE) said Tuesday.

Figures provided to Macauhub by INE showed that fuel imports, particularly gasoline, diesel, lighting oil and some mineral oils, accounted for 25.9 percent of imports between January and December of last year.

According to INE, the amount spent in 2012 on fuel represented an increase of 79 percent against the US$21.6 million spent last year on the same products.

After fuel Sao Tome and Principe’s list of imports included agricultural products, which accounted for 16.6 percent of the total or US$24.7 million, foodstuffs accounted for 13.7 percent or US$20.3 million and machinery and equipment accounting for 10.9 percent or US$16.2 million.

Angola is Sao Tome and Principe’s largest fuel supplier via state oil company Sonangol, which is the main shareholder of Sao Tome and Principe’s national fuel and oil company, ENCO.

The archipelago’s largest consumer of fuel is the country’s water and electricity company, which produces 80 percent of its power using fuel. (macauhub)