MP Mhangwa urges govt to cut LPG Import Bill through local gas substitution

Zimbabwe is facing a rising import bill for liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), widely used for cooking amid erratic electricity supplies. Chinhoyi legislator Leslie Mhangwa has called on the government to implement policy measures that substitute imported LPG with locally available natural gas.

Speaking during a session in the National Assembly, Mhangwa questioned the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development on plans to leverage domestic gas reserves to reduce reliance on imports.

"Beyond gas being used to produce power, the country has incurred a huge import bill in terms of LPG, which is used for cooking. What is the Government doing to have import substitution of LPG through the natural gas that we have in abundance?" Mhangwa asked.

In response, Deputy Minister Polite Kambamura said the government is working on a comprehensive hydrocarbon beneficiation strategy, which includes validating gas reserves from the Mukuyu field. However, he noted that commercial extraction has not yet begun, and infrastructure development is still underway.

"They are still building pipelines, seeking markets, and conducting feasibility studies. Markets have already been identified in Zambia and the DRC," Kambamura said.

He added that once commercial pumping begins, the government intends to reduce the LPG import bill by utilizing high-quality domestic gas.