Mugabe says fuel price too high

President Mugabe yesterday said the price of E10 fuel produced by Green Fuel from the blending of ethanol and petrol was too high.
The Head of State and Government and Commander-in-Chief of the Zim­babwe Defence Forces was speaking while touring a stand for research on ethanol fuel at the Research and Intel­lectual Expo at the University of Zim­babwe.
"Their pricing of ethanol fuel is very high," said President Mugabe. 
"We are still discussing the matter at Government level." 
E10 costs US$1,44 per litre at some service stations, while in other coun­tries the price is around US$0,75 per litre.
An official at the E10 stand said they had the technology to produce E85 in which ethanol would make up 85 per­cent of the blended fuel.
Energy and Power Development Minister Elton Mangoma recently said the Government would not introduce mandatory blending of ethanol and petrol until Green Fuel â€" a US$600 mil­lion ethanol project in Manicaland â€" explains why its product was more expensive than in other countries.
Green Fuel has shut down its Chisumbanje factory, sending nearly 4 500 workers home. 
The Government recently appointed a Cabinet committee led by Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara to revive the factory.
The committee has since made two visits to the plant to familiarise itself with problems affecting the blending and eventual sale of E10.
President Mugabe toured various stands at the RIE expo, where he com­mended research work being done by different institutions.
He was particularly interested in the recently launched Sirdamaize 113 seed exhibited at the Scientific and Industrial Research and Development Centre.
President Mugabe also toured stands for the Tobacco Research Board, Mutare Polytechnic, Kwekwe Polytech­nic and MP Enterprises, which makes protective clothing. At the Harare Poly­technic stand, President Mugabe com­mended the development of a drip irri­gation system suitable for both large scale and small-scale farmers.
He also tasted a cake made from the masau ((Ziziphus Mauritiana)) fruit at the stand.
President Mugabe toured the Univer­sity of Zimbabwe stand where academ­ics such as Professor Sheunesu Mpepereki, Prof Barbara Maasdorp, Prof Claude Mararike, Prof Chipo Dyanda and Prof Julie Stewart dis­played their research work.
He took some time at a stand display­ing research on the Tonga tribe, where he was told that research was under way on the tribe on both sides of the Zam­bezi River.
He also toured stands for the National University of Science and Technology, Chinhoyi University of Technology, Bindura University of Sci­ence Education and Solusi University.
The second edition of RIE, which started on Wednesday, ends today.