The ManicaPost
Government yesterday dismissed reports that the country is running out of fuel and will soon dry up. Energy and Power Development permanent secretary Patson Mbiriri said the country had adequate fuel supplies to meet local demand. The remarks follow reports circulating on social media alleging that fuel stocks in Zimbabwe would soon dry up. Mr Mbiriri said the country had more fuel than it required despite a drop in import figures.“We have adequate stocks of fuel in the country and we will continue to monitor the situation and take necessary measures to ensure continuous fuel supplies.
The decrease in import means there is reduced demand by bulk fuel buyers such as industry and the mining sector. It does not point to a shortage,” he said.
“On daily basis the country needs about 2,5 million litres of diesel and 1,5 million litres petrol and the figures have been going down,” he said.
Statistics released by the National Oil and Infrastructure Company of Zimbabwe (NOIC) show that a total of 735,6 million litres of fuel were brought through the Feruka pipeline between January and July 2016 down from 1,5 billion litres that were pumped into the country in the comparative period last year.
Fuel pumped into the country in 2016 comprised 421,1 million litres of diesel, 271,4 million litres of petrol and 36,1 million litres of jet A1 compared to 994,2 million litres of diesel, 498,8 million litres petrol and 36,7 million litres of jet A1 brought in the same period last year.
But Mbiriri said the decline was due to a fall in demand by bulk fuel buyers, lack of foreign currency and tight controls by the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe.
Fuel dealers now have to go through the RBZ when importing fuel unlike in the past.
At least 90 percent of the country’s fuel is brought in by pipeline with the remaining 10 percent moved by road and rail.
Petroleum products are shipped to Beira and transported into Zimbabwe up to Feruka in Mutare, Manicaland province, through the duct which is cheaper than road and rail.
From Feruka, fuel is pumped to underground tanks at Msasa and Mabvuku, just outside the capital for storage and distribution to other NOIC depots in Bulawayo and other centers.
NOIC was formed at the beginning of 2011 as a Government entity responsible for transporting into the country petroleum products using the pipeline from Beira in Mozambique to Msasa Depot in Harare. – New Ziana.
