(right) and his Deputy George Zulu (centre) inspect the Lusaka fuel
storage depot with Lusaka Province Minister Obvious Mwaliteta before
commissioning of the plant
GOVERNMENT has assured that the country has adequate stocks of fuel both at the Ndola fuel terminal and Lusaka main depot and has attributed the current artificial shortage to logistical inadequacies on the part of oil marketing companies (OMCs).
And Minister of Mines, Energy and Water Development Christopher Yaluma says Government will systematically remove middlemen in the procurement process of fuel because this has contributed to high cost of the commodity.
The minister said in an interview yesterday that the current shortage of fuel in some parts of Lusaka is as a result of logistical problems that some OMCs are experiencing.
“I want to assure the country that the stocks of fuel are enough. In Lusaka, there are 300,000 litres of fuel while in Ndola we have 1.6 million litres of fuel,” he said.
Mr Yaluma said that a total of 11 trucks of fuel are offloading in Lusaka while 81 trucks have been dispatched from Dar es Salam in Tanzania.
He said there is no need to panic because Government has put in place necessary measures to address the shortage.
Mr Yaluma also said the inclusion of middlemen in procurement and distribution of fuel is unnecessarily increased in the price of fuel.
He said that the current shortage of fuel in some parts of Lusaka is as a result of the logistical problems which some OMCs are experiencing.
“I want to assure the country that the stocks of fuel are enough. In Lusaka, there are 300,000 litres of fuel while in Ndola we have 1.6 million litres of fuel,” he said.
Mr Yaluma said that a total of 11 trucks of fuel are offloading in Lusaka while 81 trucks have been dispatched from Dar es Salam in Tanzania.
He said that there is no need for people to panic because Government has put in place necessary measures to normalise the situation
A check by the Daily Mail at some service stations in Lusaka revealed that there was a shortage of fuel and fuel attendants were turning away motorists.
There was no fuel at Total Filling Station in Kalingalinga and Puma Filling Station at Manda Hill.
The situation was the same at Puma Filling Station in Longacres and Church Road filling stations on Church Road.
Then the shortages are due to government failure in the supply chain? Some of these politicians need to keep their statements to bare minimum. Now Yaluma just admitted that his ministry is failing in ensuring sound supply chain logistics. A critical commodity like fuel should not evr have such a situation this trickles down to other sectors of economic activity. If what he is saying is true, the shortage will be addressed in 24 hours and the price will hold. If he is lying the porblem will spread. Lets see what happens.
Thank Yaluma for confirming you and your PF government are incapable ….how will you account for the lost man-hours we have endured at gas stations lining up for fuel?
If Hon. Yaluma was given task to organize drinking party inside the brewery, I am 100% sure that it will run out of booze!!!
Fuel is what drives the economy,so if Mr.Yaluma and his pf government have logistical problems dealing with the middle men leading to the purchase of expensive fuel,then the best thing to do is to do away with them just like mr Sata wanted it while opposition since you promised the Zambian masses that you will rule on mr Sata’s promises