VICE-PRESIDENT George Kunda has said that the Zambia Public Procurement
Authority (ZPPA) has granted authority to import fuel into the country to mitigate a shortage of petrol and diesel.
Mr Kunda said this in an interview in Ndola yesterday in light of the fuel shortage that has resulted in many filling stations running out of supplies and causing panic buying among motorists.
“The ZPPA has granted authority for supplies to be brought in, in case of any eventuality,” Mr Kunda said.
He said Government, through Minister of Energy and Water Development Kenneth Konga, is making efforts to normalise the supply of fuel.
“We will react to that and ensure that we are on top of things. Fuel is an essential commodity. There are a lot of things we are doing like agriculture and in agriculture we use diesel,” Mr Konga said.
He said Government is committed to ensuring that there is sufficient fuel in the country even when the Indeni Petroleum Refinery is shut down for routine maintenance.
And Ministry of Energy and Water Development permanent secretary, Peter Mumba, has said that the shortage of fuel is due to a technical constraint at Indeni.
Peter Mumba said at a press briefing in Lusaka yesterday that catalyst, a component in refining petrol, has weakened.
He said this is what has contributed to the reduction in petrol supply on the market.
Mr Mumba said that while the current production met a larger portion of the demand, the situation has been compounded by uncertainly of future supplies by not only the consumers but fuel suppliers as well.
Mr Mumba said that in order to have stocks during the shut-down, 15 million litres of petrol and 25 million litres of diesel will be imported.
“Loading of these products in Dar es Salaam will begin on Wednesday October 14, 2009 with the view to having the fuel start arriving in Ndola five days thereafter,” he said.
Mr Mumba explained that a 90,000 MT shipment of petroleum feedstock was received on September 23, 2009, and will last the country until around November 20, 2009.
He said another shipment has been ordered for consumption in late November and December this year.
Mr Mumba said it is for this reason that the refinery shut-down is now being aligned to the arrival of the imported fuel after next weekend.
He said TAZAMA yesterday issued 1.5 million litres of diesel and 700,000 litres of petrol to sustain the market.
Mr Mumba said the refinery will, however, continue to operate, but at reduced production.
He said the refinery will today transfer to Ndola Fuel Terminal two million litres of diesel and one million litres of petrol.
Mr Mumba said oil marketing companies will, therefore, buy fuel on Monday and another similar pump-over will be made on Tuesday this week.
“This will continue until sufficient quantities of imports are in the country to allow the refinery shut-down,” he said.
Mr Mumba said while the concern by both consumers and oil marketing companies regarding future supplies is understandable, the shortage is temporary.
He appealed to the general public to remain calm as the fuel supply will be normalised by the arrival of new fuel imports.
Meanwhile, ALEX NJOVU reports that while Kitwe is not adversely affected by the fuel shortage, other Copperbelt towns are facing a crisis.
Mufulira Town Clerk Charles Mwandila said some filling stations had completely run out of the commodity, but he appealed to members of the public to remain calm.
“If we don’t receive fuel stocks by today (yesterday), the town will not have the commodity at all.
“There are few filling stations that have fuel at the moment and motorists are queuing up for the commodity, but there is no need to worry,” Mr Mwandila said.
In Kitwe, most filling stations have enough fuel stocks and pump attendants assured the public that they had enough stocks to meet the demand.
They said it was shocking that Lusaka had been hit by a shortage of fuel.
[Zambia Daily Mail]
Funny as it gets…. recenttly, they were exporting fuel to Tanzania.. what a funny management of resources…
Can someone show me the true picture. Are we out of crude or there a fault at Indeni?
Foolish Government, work hard to improve the economy of Zambia
How can you improve your your economy when when you have so many uncertainties. there is always a shortage of fuel in Zambia either once or twice a year. its just the matter of when its going to happen.
Fuel export wont create shortage, Konga
Monday, March 2, 2009, 13:33
commentsEnergy Minister Kenneth Konga has assured Zambians that there will be no fuel shortage.
Mr. Konga says the country has enough fuel stocks at both Indeni Oil Refinery in Ndola and Tazama pipeline in Dar-er-Salaam, Tanzania.
The Minister explained that the exportation of fuel will not affect the supply of the commodity in the country.
Mr. Konga further explained that Indeni and Tazama Pipeline asked government if they could export fuel to create space since all tanks are full.
/ZNBC/NEWS Is this guy still energy minister
Every time the country is going towards elections, either Indeni Refinery is shut down for service, or breaks down, feedstock deliveries arrangements get messy or there is confusion with the contracts of supply of feedstock and the pump price of fuel starts to swing like a YoYo,
ARE MMD USING FUEL TO FINANCE THEIR ELECTION CAMPAIGNS???
THERE MUST BE SOMETHING FISHY GOING ON
you chaps ahev just failed to govern zambia!why can’t you just give up and surrender?this is not the 1st time its happening?why fo you like taking us for a ride?
BA DAILY MAIL WRITE PROPERLY! WHAT IS THIS, FROM KUNDA TO KONGA APOPENE?
Mr Kunda said this in an interview in Ndola yesterday in light of the fuel shortage that has resulted in many filling stations running out of supplies and causing panic buying among motorists.
“The ZPPA has granted authority for supplies to be brought in, in case of any eventuality,” Mr Kunda said.
He said Government, through Minister of Energy and Water Development Kenneth Konga, is making efforts to normalise the supply of fuel.
“We will react to that and ensure that we are on top of things. Fuel is an essential commodity. There are a lot of things we are doing like agriculture and in agriculture we use diesel,” Mr Konga said.
The energy sector seems to be one of the most poorly run sectors of our economy. Have these hopeless characters ever heard of fuel reserves? What is difficult with creating such a reserve? The energy sector is very strategic – you good for nothing characters.
# 9 i agree with u , the energy sector needs to change the way it is being run.. my #1 question is .. why do keep buying crude oil from the middle east when we have a neighbour (Angola) who has crude oil… the government needs to involve the private sector and build a new refinery in western provience… the whole country can not relie on one refinery…the minster need to stop creating shortages in order for the price of fuel to go up… and they can get their cut when they import more fuel… come on zambia what are we doing..???
another freaking side show at the zambia circus!
a fuel shortage would never exist in a liberalized energy sector. private business people with profit-and-loss discpline would make sure of that. politicians and bureaucrats have no discipline and no expertise to provide anything of value.
sell zambian to taiwan!!