.YALUMA

By KENNEDY MUPESENI –

LOCAL petroleum transporters must ensure that their fleets meet the minimum required specifications for them to gain business and compete favourable with foreign transporters, Mines Minister Christopher Yaluma has said.
Mr Yaluma recently directed all suppliers of fuel to the country to have 20 per cent of their transportation fleet given to Zambian transporters.
Mr Yaluma told a petroleum industry indaba organised by the Energy Regulation Board (ERB) in Lusaka that he noted with concern that despite Government putting in place steps to support local
transporters, a number of them were still struggling to keep their fleets in good condition in line with minimum standards for the transportation of fuel.
“I wish to request the Zambian transporters as they are given business to ensure that their fleets meet the minimum required safety specifications as provided in our standards,” he said.
In this vain, he implored the ERB to ensure that it assisted local transporters understand the safety specifications regarding Zambian standards.
Government’s desire was to promote local investment in the petroleum sector but that both local and foreign companies were cardinal in job creation.
Foreign investment should not be promoted to the detriment of local investment and the energy policy provision should not contradict the promotion of foreign investments as there are enough business opportunities in the market for both parties to pursue.
Mr Yaluma called for cordial working relations among industry players in resolving the impasse in the petroleum sector.
He urged entities in the sector to ensure that they used dialogue as a means to resolve matters and not resort to measures that could undermine the security of supply of petroleum products and cause economic sabotage.
The stakeholders’ meeting attracted representation form statutory and regulatory bodies and the fuel transporters.