Energy board warns Oil Marketing Companies against hoarding fuel

The Energy Regulation Board (ERB) has issued a warning to Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) against hoarding fuel.

There is no law that supports the hoarding of fuel by OMCs in favour of people or companies that had accounts with them, according to ERB Senior Manager Corporate Consumer Affairs, Steven Bwalya, at a safety awareness meeting in Lusaka on Friday.

“Hoarding fuel is an offence which attracts serious penalties and all OMCs should avoid it at all cost as they risk being penalised,” he said.

ERB Director Corporate and Consumer Affairs, Mwiika Malindima, said the board was currently implementing its eighth strategic plan (SBP) which runs from 2022 to 2026 premised on four strategic pillars.

Read more: Govt ‘fights’ ERB over electricity tariff hike, Capital market closes quarter at K102.67 billion; see our top 10 stories of the week

He said key among the pillars was stakeholder engagement, a pillar which placed emphasis on the need for closer stakeholder collaboration at all levels.

Meanwhile, Commuters Rights Association of Zambia president, Aaron Kamuti, called on government to introduce a law that would bar commuter buses from buying fuel with passengers onboard.

“The idea is PSV, especially buses must buy fuel in advance before going to the stations to carry people because when they do that with people onboard, it is not only an inconvenience to the passengers but also to the fuel attendants who have to fight with passengers and exchange words when they ask them to disembark,” he said.

WARNING! All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express permission from ZAMBIA MONITOR.