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‘Indeni Full Production To Resume Soon’
GOVERNMENT says the production of fuel at Indeni Petroleum Refinery in Ndola will come to full capacity over the next four days.
Minister of Mines, Energy and Water Development Christopher Yaluma says Government has devised interim measures to sustain fuel supply and end the petrol shortage experienced in some parts of the country, over the past few days.
Indeni is currently being fed with crude stocks by the 12-inch pipeline while the shut down eight-inch pipeline is being repaired.
Mr Yaluma said at a media briefing in Lusaka yesterday that finished petroleum products are currently being transported into the country and that another consignment of crude stock is soon scheduled to arrive in Tanzania to beef up the current stocks.
He said Tazama has sufficient fuel stocks for distribution to all parts of the country and that delays by Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) to transport fuel to various destinations are what is causing temporary shortages in some parts of the country.
The minister said Government will however, ask OMCs other than those specifically assigned to respective towns, to help distribute fuel countrywide to avoid any further shortage.
Mr Yaluma said the Tazama pipelines are old and easily develop leakages, causing disruptions in the pumping of crude stocks.
And Mr Yaluma said Government is expected to appraise the cost implications of the repairs of the pipeline in about two days.
He said it is unfortunate that some political leaders are attempting to gain mileage out of the fuel shortage.
Mr Yaluma said it is not government’s fault that the country is experiencing a fuel shortage because the bursting of the oil pipeline was anticipated and could not be rectified in the past.
“Fuel will be available and we want the Zambian people to understand that. We apologise for the inconvenience this has caused to Zambians and all the people using petroleum products, which were in short supply,” he said.
Posted by
GunnerME
June 13, 2012 at 4:04 pm
“the bursting of the oil pipeline was ‘anticipated’ (meaning they knew it was going to burst at some point) & could not be rectified in the past”. Gross incompetence at work!
nyatu
June 13, 2012 at 4:59 pm
we cant blame the govt over this let us no hw we can inprove it give out sugetion to inprov our country
ukwa2
June 13, 2012 at 5:18 pm
ukwa chimbwi.sure no resavs evn 4 1week.grade7 @ work.u exchange fuel 4dobo.
solwezi boy.
June 13, 2012 at 5:49 pm
CAN THESE PF WOMEN PROSTITUTES MARCH TO YUMBA AND PROTEST ON THIS LUCK OF PLAN. CHIMWI NO PLAN .
Pulamasaka
June 13, 2012 at 6:01 pm
its poor planning by PF..atase..
b
June 13, 2012 at 6:52 pm
We ‘ve had worse fuel shortages than this. So please all u complaing just shut up. What was the qovernment supposed to do under the circumstances? Infact if it was before this could have gone for months. The supply chain is long ie Government, Tazama, Indeni OMCs,so why blame government alone. This problem has been sorted out so fast. I am just been reasonable. But i am still waiting for Windfall Tax from this government, they promised.
GunnerME
June 13, 2012 at 7:18 pm
@b, Its the government’s duty to provide public services to citizens ,as such they should be taken to task when they fail to render those services. The statement above suggests that the Gov knew the bursting of the pipeline was imminent, so what measures did they put in place to arrest the situation? The answer is a big NO! In short it seems the Gov doesnt plan for such eventualities & that is called FAILURE. Yes we ve had fuel shortages in the past & thats one of many reasons why MMD was booted out of power & PF put in power so that they sort out the mess.
kakolwe
June 13, 2012 at 8:56 pm
Surely ifilopo efingi here. Let the fuel be available. PF learn from this. Pipeline to tank won’t help us. Build reserves. HH & the crew, celebrate the failure. If by 2016 the same goes, we try another trial.
Slu
June 14, 2012 at 9:05 am
Hon. Yaluma, just work not talk about politics. People have a right to hold Government responsible and its normal to have critics in our society. Fuel drives the economy mind you.
b
June 14, 2012 at 1:53 pm
@GunnerMe you are very right, but look at it from this point, when the Pf came into power they reduced the price of fuel by removing the mandatory requirement by OMCs to hold 15days stock per day. This was implemented by the previous Govt to avoid fuel shortages coz 15 days was sufficient for govt and omcs to organise themselves. The cost of holding 15days stock was shifted to the consumers. Currently the Govt is building fuel storage facilities so that its not OMCs that hold that 15days stock but the govt. Once these facilities are completed, fuel shortages will be a thing of the past. But until then we can experiance these minor shortages of fuel once there is a problem at Indeni or Tazama coz the process of ordering takes a bit of time. So the govt, in my option though i stand to be corrected, has a long term plan
Wanu Ngwee
June 14, 2012 at 5:02 pm
Folks allow me to digress for a bit: I was in Zambia recently to watch our Chipolopolo boys wallop Ghana last weekend and as usual I was pissed off when I visited some entertainment houses to see how white South African men flirting with young Zambian girls that are at least 45 years younger than them, in other words girls their grand daughters’ age. For me it’s really the hypocrisy of these men that shocks me, coz they treat Africans as lesser humans in SA and would never want to associate with or be seen to be in love with black girls in SA, yet they do it in Zed. What’s even more depressing is that we the on-lookers are tolerating the abuse of our young and hungry teenage girls by these men in their 60′s and 70′s. After the match in Ndola my friends and I spotted one old white man with a teenage Zambian girl, and then saw the same man with a different “infant” in Lusaka. Now, I have decided to be taking pictures of such men that I see with different girls, and be posting the pictures to TUMFWEKO, so that we open a NAME AND SHAME page for these men who think with their third “leg”, FOLKS I AM PLEADING FOR YOUR SUPPORT IN THIS NAME AND SHAME CAMPAIGN, PLEASE!
JCB
June 14, 2012 at 11:10 pm
Bwana minister ama reasons yafula. Just pick one lie for failing to perform, wapya cimbwi uyo….
Fyobe
June 14, 2012 at 11:18 pm
WanuNgwee stop being racist. LEave consenting adults alone
kabanda yeshima
June 16, 2012 at 8:07 am
If we fail to manage energy in this undeveloped zambia ,do you think we are going to manage it in the developed zambia?lets pull up our socks zambia,and you politicians you shouldn,t interfere with other peoples jobs.let the people work as professionals.
suicide lover
June 22, 2012 at 11:56 am
I love business