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Government has completed the construction of fuel storage depots in Mpika District in Muchinga Province.
The newly constructed fuel storage depots are expected to boost the country’s fuel storage capacity.
Deputy Minister of Energy and Water Development Charles Zulu disclosed to ZANIS in an interview in Lusaka that the fuel storage depots in Mpika will soon be commissioned.
Mr. Zulu stated that following the construction of the depots, oil marketing companies will start delivering fuel to the depot in order to stock pile and supply to the northern region of the country.
The Mpika fuel depot has a combined storage capacity of 6.5 million litres petrol, diesel and kerosene.
The Deputy Minister also revealed that construction works at the Mongu and Solwezi fuel depots have commenced and were expected to be completed on schedule.
The two depots will have combined storage capacity of 6.5 million litres each.
Last year, government commissioned the Lusaka fuel depot that has a storage capacity of 25 million litres at a cost of K132, 000.
The Lusaka fuel depots are the first of four provincial fuel depots to be constructed at a cost of approximately K200 million by Dalbit International Limited of East African.
Mr. Zulu also revealed that government will be constructing two filling stations every year in an ongoing programme to ensure the country has enough filling stations.
He further stated that government has since selected a consultant to construct two filling stations in Northern Province.
The Deputy Minister also noted that once constructed, the two filling stations will be leased out to the local community as part of an empowerment programme which will create jobs.
“Government does not run businesses, we will lease them out to the local community. By giving out the filling stations, we are creating jobs,” Mr. Zulu stated.
Mr. Zulu further dispelled fears of fuel shortages in the country and assured the nation that there were plenty of fuel stocks at Indeni Refinery which he said has had no break downs.
He however appealed to the oil marketing companies to speed up the collection and delivery of fuel to filling stations in order to ensure that enough stocks are readily available.
