Friday, March 29, 2024

Government to allow Oil Marketing Companies to import fuel as shortages bite

Share

ZNS Commandant Major General Nathan Mulenga (left) and Ministry of Energy and Water Development Permanent Secretary Emelda Chola
ZNS Commandant Major General Nathan Mulenga (left) and Ministry of Energy and Water Development Permanent Secretary Emelda Chola
Government has issued a statutory instrument to allow Oil Marketing Companies-OMCs- to import fuel as a short term measure to beef up available stocks in the country.

Energy Permanent Secretary Emeldah Chola says a statutory instrument has been signed to permit OMCs to import according to their market share until August 31st, 2016.

Brigadier General Chola has since assured all consumers and the general public that measures have been put in place to stabilise fuel supply in some parts of the country that have recorded erratic supply.

She says a cargo carrying 90,000 metric tonnes of commingled feedstock is offloading at the port of Dar-es- Salaam and that TAZAMA will start pumping the feed stock to INDENI today.

General Chola said the Feedstock will be refined and supplied to the market by Saturday March19th, 2016.

And General Chola has announced that the Ministry of Energy has engaged three extra suppliers to supply 300 million litres of diesel and 180 million litres of petrol.

She has since urged OMCs to work closely with TAZAMA to ensure fuel is quickly supplied to filling stations.

General Chola said government intends to build up on the supply with long term supply contracts.

Meanwhile, The fuel shortage in Kitwe on the Copperbelt has entered day four today.

Motorists and other users of petroleum products have been forced to spend most of their time looking for the commodity from one filling station to the other.

QFM’S Favourite Kalando reports from Kitwe that the only filling station which has fuel is Total filling station which has attracted long queues of motorists.

A check at Mount Meru, Puma, Engene, and Kobil filling stations in the city found they had no fuel.

Meanwhile the situation is not different in Lusaka where a number of filling stations have no fuel, while those with the commodity attracting long queues of motorists.

23 COMMENTS

  1. It is UPND buying all the fuel in more than one car and using containers in order to cause a shortage….

    • UPND is then very rich and we need to support them if it is true they are buying in bulk without using the country’s treasury…….LOL

    • hahahahahahaha…Blame it on the opposition like always..This is the Zambia we have come know.Politicians refusing to take responsibility and always wanting to pass the buck.

  2. What’s the meaning of this? Is government not taking away some business from TAZAMA by allowing these OMC’s to be importing fuel and yet government is busy building fuel Depots around the country. Kindly, advise me dear bloggers

    • I think it means people like RB can now import oil for themselves without abusing Gov’t authority. All he needs is to have OMC status! No that’s seriously Pants!!

    • Fuel depots can be built in all towns and as long as there is no infrastructure upgrade at Indeni, which was built in 1970 when Zambia’s population was in the range of 5 million thereabouts with fewer vehicles on the roads, we shall continue facing fuel shortages. In short the Indeni plant is old coupled with PF administrators who lack capabilities in long term planning the problem will worsen with prices of fuel going up. This same Permanent Secretary was last week assured the nation that the country had enough fuel stocks, what has happened to the stocks? Is UPND buying in bulk?

  3. Is this not the time to decrease obesity girths by welcoming some fasting and loss of 1 meal a day? Park the cars and walk and take bus, bikes etc. desperate times desecrate measures!!

  4. Lungu and his PF have wasted the TEN BILLION DOLLARS they have borrowed and now cannot even find the cash to pay for fuel on time!

    What a bunch of thieves and iddiots!

    Zambia, how could you have put this drunkard into State House? What on earth were you thinking???

  5. this is the results of voting useless persons into govt. the writing had been written all over the wall, that things will come to this end before the PF gets kicked out of govt

  6. This UPND party should be very rich..to buy all the fuel and mealie meal and saladi and sugar in order to cause an artificial shortage and precipitate price hikes..lol.Seriously ba PF have run out of ideas and lies of this nature will take them straight to the political garbage bin of this country.

  7. This is what you get when you deliberately want to ground the economy of the country you want to rule. Arranged panic buying of fuel and meali meal will not get votes for the opposition, but rational policy promotion to the electorate. See what is happening to banks lending rates. Is it only PF supporters affected, ofcourse not. When the opposition where using there are money to wipe out dollars from the market they thought central bank would not take any action. So when you can’t get money from a bank to grow your business know that its the ‘economist’ with his careless statements organising people to buy dollars who have contributed. Thank God atleast the rate is quiet stable now. If the opposition was mature things wouldn’t have been worse as they are. Its strange that some…

    • Interesting, Tell us how HH influenced Elnino to empty kariba dam, also how HH maneged to influence China to reduce the price of copper, he must be a very big guy this HH.

    • @Dominion, at times it’s better to use your brains than your ‘whatever’! People expecting you to advise Dora to learn not to be on top every time. We need the fuel and not those other things; my foot!

  8. In fact these P.F, Pombeiro’s know they’ve lost, & will be out in August, so this is their last chance at plundering what’s left of the borrowed Cash, before they flee Zambia + justice, just like the Son of their newfound “Chief Political Advisor, & Guru” did when Sata won.
    In fact this Oil the P.F, Cadre Woman is telling citizens shall be pumped from Tanzania is highly contaminated stock, therefore NOT only will P.F. leave you poorer, & hungrier, on leaving office, but they will also damage your motor engines.
    DONT SAY YOU WERE NEVER WARNED!!!

    • The word “losing” is alien to PF. But one UnPatrioticNeanDerthal with eyes at the back of his head and always seeing the past, will pack his political bags in August. This Neanderthal, uncivilized, unintelligent and uncouth, sees nothing good as his eyes are always seeing history. As progressive ZAMBIANS with frontal eyes we have seen the ROADS, HOSPITALS, SCHOOLS, CLINICS and many other infrastructure that PF has put in place. With all this in place, all resources will now be concentrated on dealing POVERTY a death blow. KEEP IT UP ECL & PF!

  9. But I thought the Minister of energy, Dora assured the nation that there were enough stocks in the country and that there shall be no shortages of any sort. And now???

  10. Dora Siliya kindly prove to us that you’re an iron lady like Mambilima. Good move if really the responsibility of energy importation is in the hands of the CARTEL. If they have a hand in this shortage. Desperate situations require desperate measures. I mean what kind of people are these? If there is proof kindly cage the Baboons. On the other hand, BAD and SERIOUS, if it is government’s incompetence. If it is the cartel, these chaps can really be mean. Zambians open your eyes and reject any candidate linked to the cartel otherwise Zambia will be hijacked by these masons. Really bad men! I hate politics. Zambia can not be held for ransom. Utter B.U.L.LS.H.I.T. In the work of the current SI, ERB kindly up your game in ensuring that the OMC import quality products.

  11. We do not care for the Post, they have moles on their payroll. Soon and very soon, these moles will be smoked out of their holes.

  12. This is the same photo LT used in a report a few weeks ago when GRZ was assuring the nation that there wont be a fuel shortage. Bwafya sana pa Zambia..

Comments are closed.

Read more

Local News

Discover more from Lusaka Times-Zambia's Leading Online News Site - LusakaTimes.com

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading