News / National
Concerns over road fuel transportation
26 Oct 2017 at 08:52hrs | Views
PRESSURE is mounting on government to ban the transportation of imported fuel by road to allow maximum and consistent usage of the Feruka Oil Pipeline which links Mutare and Harare.
The Feruka pipeline, which has the capacity to pump 180 million litres of fuel per month, receives its fuel from Beria in Mozambique and transports it to Harare in Msasa where fuel tankers can pick up deliveries.
Over 35 percent of fuel is transported by road into the country from Mozambique despite the existence of a pipeline from Beira through Mutare to Harare.
Delegates at the One-Stop-Border-Post (OSBP) awareness campaign workshop held in Mutare this week said the ban on road transportation would reduce the fuel costs and road damages.
Director of Industry and Commerce Constance Zhanje admitted that pipeline use was more ideal and beneficial to the country.
"Indeed the ministry of Transport has been discouraging this, promoting the use of the pipeline. There has been some challenges with the pipeline that's why we had these freight trucks being used.
"It's an issue of concern to everyone. It will cost us more in taxes and more money to be channelled to road infrastructure.
"Pipeline is cheaper and that cost of using haulage trucks is translating to a higher final consumer fuel price," Zhanje said.
The ministry of Energy and Power Development has since 2014 been pushing for the use of pipeline for all fuel, including transit fuel to avoid its leakage amidst rampant smuggling.
The pipeline would pump fuel from the Mozambican port of Beira to the Feruka oil refinery in Mutare before further transportation to Msasa in Harare.
An estimated 30 to 50 million litres of fuel is being hauled by trucks through the Beitbridge and Forbes border posts destined for other countries laying to waste government investments in the Beira Corridor pipeline and Beitbridge-Bulawayo Rail.
In 2011, Government introduced $0,04 cents per litre road fuel levy to try and force importers to use the cheaper mode of transport.
It costs $0,08 cents a litre to transport fuel by the pipeline from Beira to Msasa in Harare.
However, the haulage companies charged 0,09 a litre over the same distance.
The country has made efforts in raising the pumping capacity of Feruka oil pipeline linking Beira and Harare fuel depot after introducing drag reducers in a bid to increase fuel supplies.
The Feruka pipeline, which has the capacity to pump 180 million litres of fuel per month, receives its fuel from Beria in Mozambique and transports it to Harare in Msasa where fuel tankers can pick up deliveries.
Over 35 percent of fuel is transported by road into the country from Mozambique despite the existence of a pipeline from Beira through Mutare to Harare.
Delegates at the One-Stop-Border-Post (OSBP) awareness campaign workshop held in Mutare this week said the ban on road transportation would reduce the fuel costs and road damages.
Director of Industry and Commerce Constance Zhanje admitted that pipeline use was more ideal and beneficial to the country.
"Indeed the ministry of Transport has been discouraging this, promoting the use of the pipeline. There has been some challenges with the pipeline that's why we had these freight trucks being used.
"It's an issue of concern to everyone. It will cost us more in taxes and more money to be channelled to road infrastructure.
The ministry of Energy and Power Development has since 2014 been pushing for the use of pipeline for all fuel, including transit fuel to avoid its leakage amidst rampant smuggling.
The pipeline would pump fuel from the Mozambican port of Beira to the Feruka oil refinery in Mutare before further transportation to Msasa in Harare.
An estimated 30 to 50 million litres of fuel is being hauled by trucks through the Beitbridge and Forbes border posts destined for other countries laying to waste government investments in the Beira Corridor pipeline and Beitbridge-Bulawayo Rail.
In 2011, Government introduced $0,04 cents per litre road fuel levy to try and force importers to use the cheaper mode of transport.
It costs $0,08 cents a litre to transport fuel by the pipeline from Beira to Msasa in Harare.
However, the haulage companies charged 0,09 a litre over the same distance.
The country has made efforts in raising the pumping capacity of Feruka oil pipeline linking Beira and Harare fuel depot after introducing drag reducers in a bid to increase fuel supplies.
Source - dailynews
