By EPN Reporter
MBABANE – Government is working to make sure that fuel, especially petrol, is adequately available in the country before the end of this week.
This was said by Ministry of Natural Resources and Energy Principal Secretary (PS) Dorcas Dlamini. Dlamini said this when asked if her ministry was doing something to address the problem of lack of petrol experienced in the country, particularly this past weekend in some parts of the country.
Dlamini said her ministry was working to ensure that by the end of this week, the problem was sorted out. She said the problem was not with the filling stations in Eswatini, but the problem was with Sasol, a South African company from where the Eswatini petroleum companies buy fuel.
She said it was found that there was a problem with a contract that was not renewed on time between Sasol and the Eswatini petroleum companies. However, when government engaged the concerned parties, Dlamini said they found that the discussions between them were beginning to bear fruits.
That was when she expressed hope that by the end of this week, the contract between Sasol and the petroleum companies would have been renewed and fuel would be imported from South Africa to Eswatini once again.
Asked if there was a way in which such problems could be avoided in future, Dlamini said there was only one way which could help the country avoid such situations. “I think the construction of the Strategic Oil Reserve is the only thing that can help out move out of this problem,” Dlamini said.
The Strategic Oil Reserve is supposed to be built in Phuzumoya, with an intention of providing fuel security of at least three months in the country. The oil reserve will be managed by the Eswatini National Petroleum Company (ENPC). Dlamini said the Strategic Oil Reserve would be helpful in situations like this because petroleum companies would buy fuel from the oil reserve in Phuzumoya.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Russell Mmiso Dlamini did talk about the construction of the Strategic Oil Reserve when he visited the Buganda Kingdom in Uganda on Tuesday. This was when Buganda’s Prime Minister Charles Mayiga showed Dlamini an oil production plant, which made a significant contribution into Buganda and Uganda’s economies.
Dlamini expressed hope that there could be cooperation between the two kingdoms as far as the construction of the local oil reserve was concerned. He even stated that maybe, some of the workers of Buganda’s oil production plant could be asked by Their Majesties to come and offer technical assistance on how to construct and manage such a facility.
