Thursday, March 28, 2024

Government launches rural fuel stations project

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Charles Zulu
Charles Zulu

Government has launched the project to construct filling stations in rural areas that will be operated under the Ministry of Energy and Water Development to provide a uniform pricing mechanism of the commodity across the country.

ZANIS reports that Energy deputy minister Charles Zulu officiated at the ground breaking ceremony of the government filling stations to be built in Mporokoso district of the Northern province at a cost of K4.5 million.

Launching the project , Mr Zulu said the programme was part of the uniform pricing mechanism aimed at providing the rural areas with filing stations where people could access affordable and unblended fuel.

He said the Ministry has earmarked to construct two filling stations in the country this year in Mporokoso and Luwingu districts of the Northern province.

Mr Zulu was hopeful that the projects will provide the much needed clean and affordable fuel to the people adding that the cost of fuel was high in rural areas because of some hidden costs.

He said government was prompted to initiate the programme of creating filling stations in rural areas because most oil marketing companies had concentrated on creating fuel stations in peri-urban and urban areas.

Mr. Zulu added that to ensure that the rural people had access to fuel, government would ensure that two filling stations were created around the country yearly.

He said the provision of the stations will help in employment creation and enhanced service delivery to the rural poor areas and boast economic growth.

The groundbreaking ceremony was also attended by Energy permanent secretary Charity Mwansa, Mporokoso District Commissioner Jennifer Choongo, Chief Chitoshi and senior government officials.

And the contractor for the project, Astor contractors’ representative Li Bing said the programme will commence as soon as power and water were connected to the site.

Mr. Bing said his company will ensure that the construction of the filling station was completed within eight months.

22 COMMENTS

  1. Pasani bantu ma chances aya imwe. Why vimacrowding out so? Pasani anthu ma low interest loans to put up pump stations. Government siicita business, muzaunzila liti?

    • That will not move the rural population…. they have decided, it is HH.
      What about the rural Airlines which PF have been promising before jubilee?

    • They are just trying to account for the $7.5 billion they squandered. Once UPND forms govt, we want a proper audit to check if infrastructure on the ground agrees with the $7.5 billion.

    • GREAT MOVE BY THE GOVERNMENT. THIS IS REAL INFRASTRUCTURE SETTING UP. EVEN HERE IN THE UK GOVERNMENT VENTURES INTO PROJECTS WHICH ARE NOT REALLY PROFITABLE FOR PRIVATE COMPANIES VENTURING JUST TO GIVE PEOPLE A SERVICE. HOWEVER, THIS MOVE WILL TRIGGER MODERNISATION OF RURAL AREAS AND HENCE, MORE NEW BUSINESSES.

    • A LOT OF NONSENSE: This NOT government’s job. you have a huge backlog of schools, hospitals, clinics, subsidised houses, water and sanitation services to deliver to poor people, but you’re taking the work of the private sector. You don’t even have decent offices from which you can proudly serve the public – your offices are DIRTY, WITHOUT RUNNING WATER AND TOO OLD!!! Can you go back to the constitution and the legal frameworks that establish the various ministries to understand the duties and responsibilities of each one of them? I don’t think you’ll find any like BUILDING FUEL STATIONS. STOP this rot please!

    • IT’S VERY ANNOYING AND SCARY WHAT THESE FILLING STATIONS WILL BE USED FOR:

      1. STEALING FUEL USING GRZ VEHICLES – either for resale, or when going for drinking sprees or visiting girlfriends and boyfriends

      2. ESCALATION OF OUT-OF-STATION ASSIGNMENTS giving rise to unnecessary journeys

    • GOVT IS SUPPOSE TO CREATE AN ENABLING ENVIRONMENT FOR ITS PEOPLE TO INVEST WHERE ITS VIABLE. THE GULLIBLE THINK THIS IS GREAT NEWS. THAT’S WHY URGE YOU TO VOTE WISELY.

    • 8 months to build a Filling station??? This is what happens when ignorant people lead our country – anything said to them is gospel truth, especially when no Tender Process was put out – bu chifita over!!

    • Projects that will never take off like the national airline saga still been promised by Chipuba mukanga. Vote wisely people

    • @2 I TOTALLY AGREE WITH YOU. IN FACT THIS SHOULD GO ALONG-SIDE WITH MILLIE MEAL MILLING COMPANIES. THIS WILL HAVE A RIPPLE EFFECT ON INCREASED FARMING EFFORTS BY PEOPLE AS THEY WILL HAVE READY MARKET FOR THEIR MAIZE. AND EVEN MORE INDUSTRIES TO FOLLOW.

  2. Government ‘ roll is to govern and not to run filling stations, why not encourage local entreprenuiers to build these. This is wasted tax payers money, (oh sorry borrowed foreign debt) who is going to run these stations, government employees ,because there is no proper thought process in this some of these will be white elephants. Economics tells you that supply is based on demand, how many vehicles are in the rural areas in Zambia? This is a badly thought process period.

  3. Such projects should really be encouraged. Job well done Ministry of Energy but if resources could allow, that number is supposed to be increased to atleast 5 so that more remote areas that have difficulties in accessing the commodity are helped. Pro poor government indeed. Honourable Edgar Lungu will continue with such projects come next week……..

    • Is construction of filling stations the priority of the people in those areas? Chances are that, no! Its high time this pf government learnt to consult stakeholders. Chances are that money will be spent but the filling stations will continue to need funding from central government as they are unlikely to break even in their business. I see this initiative as a mechanism to ‘eat’ the Munkombwe way, nothing else.

  4. We don’t have electricity in rural areas upto now. When are you accomplishing the work of rural electrification before you start building fuel stations in rural areas?

  5. Bravo!!! Bravisimo!!!! Very well done!!!!! This is the way to promote sustainable development. The public sector working together with the private sector. In the near future, investment will flow to the target areas. After some time, it may be necessary to offload and leave operations to the private sector.

  6. This is commendable. This will cushion the fuel shortage in the province. Currently only Kasama has filling stations and supplies the whole province.

  7. Let them start selling mealie meal, fish, tomatoes as well. Why not create an incentive for the private sector to do so?

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