EIZ urges transparency in energy sector

EIZ urges transparency in energy sector
By Fridah Zinyama
Tue 10 Nov. 2009, 04:00 CAT

THE Engineering Institute of Zambia (EIZ) has called for transparency in the management of the energy sector.

In an interview, EIZ president Henry Musonda said the government must clean up the energy sector as it was important for the country's continued economic growth.

“The way forward in managing the energy sector is to be more transparent and reduce on the involvement of politicians in this sector,” he said.
Musonda said there was also need to put in place a communication system that would allow the public to correct information on what was happening in the sector, instead of having anybody issuing statements about the fuel crisis in the country.

“We cannot have such a vital sector (energy) run in the manner in which we experienced over the past one month,” he said.
Energy minister Kenneth Konga earlier said Indeni Oil Refinery, the country's sole oil refiner, would continue to limp until government made a decision to find an equity partner.

Konga also called on stakeholders interested in setting up a second refinery to do so since the government had liberalised the economy to allow for participation from the private sector.

And Musonda said those given the responsibility of managing the energy sector should take full responsibility of what had happened and resign.

But Konga last week vowed not to resign owing to the fuel crisis that has hit the country, saying he had managed to contain the fuel shortages.