Zim Government Steps in to Avert Fuel Crisis
A senior official has confirmed that the Zimbabwean government has decided to take action to contain a potentially turbulent fuel crisis. This decision arose amidst reports that oil firms are not making enough export earnings to pay for fuel imports.
In an attempt to enable the central bank to pay for imports and avert a fuel shortage, the government has enhanced the assemblage of resources, says Secretary for Energy and Power Development, Mr Partson Mbiriri.
Mbiriri explained the situation:
“What has happened is that when oil companies approach their banks requesting them to make payments for the importation of fuel, there have been some financial bottlenecks in seeking clearance from the central bank…They have been told that there is no foreign currency. There have been challenges related to foreign currency, making it difficult to make payments of fuel imports…
“It has been the tradition that the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe prioritises energy and fuel in allocation of hard currency. Of late, oil companies have been failing to access their money for fuel importation, owing to foreign currency shortages, which we are experiencing as a country.”
While Mbiriri has stated that there is no need for panic and that measures have been put in place to avoid an interrupted supply of fuel.
However, Mr Tawanda Mandeya of Glen View was turned away from a service station who claimed to have no fuel. Ms Plaxedes Muchirahondo has a similar experience, saying she, “was surprised to be told by some reputable service stations that they did not have fuel”.
