By JUDITH NAMUTOWE –
LIQUIFIED petroleum gas (LPG) exporters in South Africa and East Africa have started rationing the commodity because of the growing demand in the region.
Oxyzam Limited chief executive officer Karthi Keyan said the supplies from South Africa and East Africa had been reduced.
He said this in an interview in Lusaka yesterday.
Oxyzam is a manufacturing company that specialises in the production and distribution of high quality and affordable gases such as oxygen, nitrogen and LPG, for industrial and domestic purposes.
Responding to the demand for alternative power sources, Oxyzam introduced its LPG line.
Mr Keyan said LPG demand in South Africa and East Africa had risen because of the power deficit the countries in the region were faced with, forcing the suppliers to reduce the supply of the commodity.
He said demand for LPG had become a source of worry in that companies supplying the commodity had to look for supplies outside the country.
“The demand for LPG has gone up and currently, there are no supplies from neighbouring countries.
“Right now we cannot get supplies from Zimbabwe, Malawi and Botswana.
“The nearest we could go to is South Africa and East Africa. South Africa also is not exporting much because they are rationing because of the demand in the country,” he said.
Mr Keyan said because of the rising need for alternative sources of energy both locally and outside, Oxyzam was not able to meet the demand.
Two days ago, the company received 22,000 kilogrammes of LPG instead of the 50,000 it was expecting, making the situation even more difficult for Oxyzam as it was not able to meet local demand.
“The local demand is so huge and we are not able to meet that with the 22,000 kilogrammes that we have been given. We are getting supplies from South Africa but very rationally,” he said.
Mr Keyan said that the company needed about 100,000 kilogrammes to effectively supply its commercial and domestic clients in the country. The company refills and delivers oxygen cylinders and LPG tanks to clients’ sites.