Energy Permanent Secretary Teddy Kasonso has disclosed that Government has embarked on an ambitious programme of developing fuel storage facilities throughout the country.
Mr Kasonso said this was in an effort to promote value generating economic activities in all parts of the country other than in Lusaka and Copperbelt Provinces to ensure that all parts of Zambia developed simultaneously.
ZANIS reports that he described the energy sector as the heart beat of Zambia’s economy and that it fuelled economic activity.
Mr Kasonso said that every activity generating economic value in Zambia was powered through this sector and thus its importance as a conduit to achieving key economic milestones could not be overemphasised.
The Energy Permanent Secretary was speaking at the official opening of Livingstone Service Total filling station in Livingstone today.
Besides, the programme to develop storage facilities, Mr Kasonso disclosed that the uniform Pricing Programme (UPP) launched in September, last year was another effort intended to develop the country,especially in areas outside Lusaka and the Copperbelt.
Mr. Kasonso also said that UPP Programme has standardised the fuel pump price across the country in a bid to reduce costs of doing business and transportation of goods and services from source to consumer adding that this accounted for about 50 percent of the price charged to end users.
He noted Government expected that the private sector would support key programmes and invest in all the provinces.
The Permanent Secretary pointed out that the economies of scale that Government was creating through policies such as UPP must translate into meaningful investments that triggered employment and economic activity for the local people.
ZANIS
I wonder what PF plans on the fuel sector are? I guess it depends on what is in Sata’s head. Are they proposing to do away with UPP should they get in?
Good. Now put up a refinary in Kalabo to process the oil from Angola and the soon to be discovered oil in that province of Barotseland. It will quieten all this noise about the BA1964 and seccession cries from the Linyungandambo and Black Bulls.
This will never take place.As soon as the elections are over this vision will also be be over until the next election day.Zambians open your eyes and think.
#1 You are talking about ba Power Failur Chimbwi No plan. They only have a three point plan when they come to power.
1) Settle old scores with Chiluba to show him who the boss is ( I doubt Zambians have a taste for that )
2) Launch an endless money wasting prosecution crusade against RB’s alled abuse of office.
3) Raid the coffers to refund GBM, The Taiwanese funds, who funded last two attempts and also refund the homosexuals who are helping GBM fund PF. .
Good move MMD!! Thumbs up!
Last week ethanol plant to be built in Eastern Province. Yesterday it was electricity being one of the major foreign exchange earners in two years’ time. Today it is about strategic fuel reserves all over the country.
Now even those with so small brains as the snake they follow can surely see that there is systematic and relentless planning and development in the energy and other sectors of the economy.
Stock up and dont depend on J.I.T (Just in time).
I think Sata now realises that education is important. We are not talking about insults but efficieny and effectiveness. We are talking about solutions not problems.
I know who to hire or confide to!!
Definately NOT sata or kaponyas or indecisive HH.
This is interesting. I like this very much. We sort out our energy woes and let development kick in. Good policy decision. I just hope this trust that the MMD is trying to get from the people will not disappear after the election this year. All the best RB, you better not be deceiving the masses.
I think i’m loving MMD, they might just get my vote. They make more sense than Sata who is always arguing with other people.
Thats the way to go.
Can someone remind me when Sata articulated on policy issues? Dont tell me about HH for i know he is a smart politician. It is time we departed from ancient politics of who (in)shouts the best and the most.
Strategic reserves dotted around the country? Ok,fine.
Only the thing I’d really like to hear about is why our pump prices are so high compared with our neighbours. A few years ago looking at fuel prices in detail (ERB data), we found that taxes accounted for around 47% and 35% of the pump price of petrol and diesel respectively. Foreign costs (i.e. the cif price of crude) accounted for something similar at about 34% and 43% of the petrol and diesel price leaving 19% and 22% of the pump price to cover local marketing, dealer margins, transport margins, etc. Of course, any reduction in tax would negatively impact GRZ revenue (and have to be made up elsewhere), but could also be a real boon to the economy. As the PS says, energy is the sector that drives everything else.
It surely is clear that there is always failure of reason in some bloggers. Surely, if infrastructure is put up before an election assuming it is a campaign strategy, does it mean the infrastructure will not be there if the party that did, so loses!
I doubt the capacity of planners to implement what is on paper without lining their pockets. With the removal of abuse office from our laws. We are heared for more scandals in central and local govt circles. Already there is a land scum at Lusaka City Council. Wait and see. By the way the issue of who is supplying fuel to Zambia has died a natural death, I expected alot of bloggers to continue feeding us with information this subject. UPP will be scrapped soon after elctions like what happened when GRZ reduced the price of fuel in 2008 and to be reversed after RB became comfortable in his Presidency. The PS is just parating his master’s voice. I know the gentleman he speaks volumes but his out put is not 100%
As members of a Global village, it is also important for us to think outside the box (Zambia) and look at what other countries are doing about Energy and Environment, and how to come up with a strategy that leverages in favour of Zambia. In most cases we will not even need to re-invent the wheel. For example, in Kenya they have come up with a strategy to charge developed countries for polluting Kenya’s share of Atmosphere (and Kenyan forests having to do the cleaning of the carbon in the air) on this Global Village called Earth. Smart thinking, isn’t it? They are now just working on what scientific measurables to adopt in liaison with United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. And Kenya is talking BIG money, revenues in excess of US$1.6bn per year over the next decade, and ….
Cont’d…and beyond, once this strategy takes root. Zambia should think in the same lines before the goal post is shifted. For more information on Kenya’s programme, google ‘Kenya Carbon Exchange’
LT your reporting is scandalous, paragraph 5, ‘The Energy Permanent Secretary was speaking at the official opening of Livingstone Service Total filling station in Livingstone today.’ So what is the BP filling station doing in this picture??
The UPP may have good intentions, but the implementation has already been messed up by removing Oil companies Margins from ruiral areas and giving it to Mr. Nyirenda of Ashfield Consultant as UPP manager. The whole of this is a campaign stratrgy which will make all praise singers run into hiding after MMD wins elections on unsustainable projects. UPP in itself is not a bad policy, but if you implement it in such a way that the investors in construction of service stations in rural areas do not see the benefits, you are cheating the people!
does anyone knw when the next fuel price hike will be?
#4 I like you comment it is spot on! you have summarised it very well. my rib cage almost bursted with laughter!