LUSAKA, Feb. 3 (Xinhua) -- The Zambian government has granted Oil Marketing Companies a waiver to enable them to import finished petroleum products at a cheaper price.
Minister of Energy Matthew Nkhuwa said the waiver will run for six months.
He said the waiver has been given to 81 companies to import a total of 1.9 billion liters of diesel and a total of 934 million liters of petrol.
"This will complement government-contracted suppliers and improve the security of supply," he said in a statement released in parliament.
The measure was in addition to the zero-rating of value-added tax on diesel and petrol, which has resulted in the stabilization of the pump price, he said.
The country recently experienced a shortage of fuel in some parts but the minister assured that the government was committed to ensuring a stable supply of fuel in the country.
He further revealed that the country's sole oil refinery, Indeni Oil Refinery, which has been shut since Dec. 12, 2020 for maintenance purposes, will start operations in the coming weeks. The state-run refinery accounts for 40 percent of national petroleum requirements. Enditem
