Maravi

Indeni MD appeals for calm over diesel shortage

Indeni MD appeals for calm over diesel shortage
By Abigail Chaponda in Ndola
Tuesday August 12, 2008 [04:00]

INDENI Petroleum Refinery managing director Dr Michael Faulkner has called for calm over the shortage of diesel in the country, saying everything is under control. Speaking when Copperbelt minister Mwansa Mbulakulima toured Indeni Petroleum Refinery yesterday, Dr Faulkner blamed the shortage of diesel on oil marketing companies (OMCs) that were delaying to deliver the commodity on the market.
Dr Faulkner said it would take some time for diesel to be delivered to all the filling stations in the nation.

“People should not panic because the Indeni is completely operational. People should not worry because all oil marketing companies have bought the diesel from us and it would take some time to reach far filling stations because of transportation,” he said.
Dr Faulkner said all the OMCs had bought two millions litres of diesel that was refined on Saturday and they were expected to deliver to all filling stations in the country.
He said Indeni would refine four million litres of diesel today and offload 500,000 litres on the market.

Dr Faulkner said he expected the situation to normalise soon.
And Mbulakulima said there was no need for people to create artificial shortage when Indeni had started refining diesel.

Mbulakulima said he was aware that only one filling station on the Copperbelt had no diesel.

“Pleased let us not create artificial shortage when there is diesel in the country. Everything is under control and here in Ndola we have plenty of diesel and the rest of the country will have it soon,” Mbulakulima said.

As at Friday evening, long queues of vehicles could be seen at most filling stations in some mining towns while several stations had completely run out of the commodity.
Chililabombwe and Luanshya had completely run out of diesel by Saturday.
Confusion reigned at Kobil Filling Station in Ndola where bus drivers almost beat up a fuel attendant for not attending to them.

The shortages of diesel have also persisted in Lusaka.

Labels: INDENI

posted by MrK @ 4:14 AM