(TIMES) Find solution to fuel shortages, State told
Find solution to fuel shortages, State toldBy Times Reporter
A PARLIAMENTARY committee has asked the Government to find a lasting solution to recurrent fuel shortages in the country. In its report to Parliament yesterday, the Committee on Energy, Environment and Tourism said the shortage of fuel affected the daily lives of Zambians and the economic development.
Moving a motion to adopt the report, Ndola Central Patriotic Party (PF) MP, Mark Mushili said the Government should quickly address the issue.
Mr Mushili said that the recurrent shortage of fuel, every year around October, was a source of grave concern and needed to be addressed.
Supporting the motion, which was seconded by Matero MP (PF), Faustina Sinyangwe, Kantanshi MP (PF), Yamfwa Mukanga accused the Government of having changed the operation of the fuel reserve fund.
Mr Mukanga said the fund to which motorists contributed K153 for every litre of fuel purchased, was supposed to make up for a short supply of the commodity and not to mitigate the fuel prices.
He said in future, the Government should handle the issue of fuel supply seriously to avoid a repeat of similar situations.
Roan MP (PF) Chishimba Kambwili said that it was important for the Government to be consistent whenever there was a crisis like fuel shortage instead of changing statements like Energy and Water Development Minister, Kenneth Konga allegedly did.
Mr Kambwili said the Government should write off Zesco bills for residents in former mine townships which had been accumulated during the transition period from ZCCM.
On the environment, Mr Mukanga said, the Government should strengthen laws related to the environmental control in Zambia especially in relation to mining pollution.
In seconding the motion, Mrs Sinyangwe called for the harmonisation of all the departments in the ministry of Tourism, Environment and Natural Resources saying currently their operations where haphazard.
Supporting the motion, United Party for National Development (UPND) Bweengwa MP, Highvie Hamududu said that the Government should address the issue of a foreign weed in the Lonchivar National Park which had affected cattle grazing.
Mr Hamududu said that there was need to strike a balance between tourism and the livelihood of local people.
Liuwa MP (MMD) Lubinda Imasiku who supported the motion said that to fully realise the tourism potential, there was need to invest in roads and other facilities.
Mr Imasiku cited Liuwa National Park where he said roads were almost non-existent.
The report further recommends full autonomy of the Environmental Council of Zambia (ECZ) saying currently its autonomy was only as long as the ministry of Tourism , Environment and Natural Resources agreed with its decision.
The committee bemoaned inadequate funding to public museums in Zambia resulting in the accumulation of debts in workers’ retirement benefits, statutory contributions and staff emoluments.
Earlier, Community Development and Social Services Deputy Minister, Elijah Muchima said the Government had between 1995 and 2005 distributed 592 hammer mills throughout Zambia.
Mr Muchima who is Mwinilunga West MP (MMD) said out of that, 47 were a grant from China while the rest were loans.
He was responding to a question from Luampa MP (UPND) Josephine Limata who wanted to know how many hammer mills had been distributed to clubs in her Constituency.
Bangweulu MP (PF), Joseph Kasongo, Bwana Mkubwa MP (PF), Joseph Zulu and Malole MP (Independent), Emmanuel Munaile expressed concern at Government’s seemingly failure to account for the mills.
Labels: FUEL, GOVERNANCE
posted by MrK @ 2:02 PM
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