57 suppliers apply to sell fuel in Zimbabwe dollars- fuel to be available before end of this month

HON. MUSWERE: Thank you Madam Speaker.  I am sure I responded to the question that modalities and frameworks are being developed currently.  Last month, ZERA flighted an advert inviting fuel station owners and distributers who would like to participate in ZWL fuel supply facility.  So far, 57 fuel station owners and distributers have responded and the first tranche of 15 distributers and fuel station owners are now working with ZERA and RBZ on modalities to ensure that it is water tight and that there are also conditions that should be attached to the distribution of the ZWL fuel facility.  Part of those conditions includes the fact that all these fuel station owners should allow the National Fuel Management system to be installed at their service stations.  Furthermore, the conditions also include the fact that there should be weekly reports, monitoring and evaluation in terms of the ZWL fuel facility.

This facility has been developed to take care of the motoring public, the farmers, Government ministries agencies and departments and also key strategic government contractors involved in dam construction et cetera.  So, we are now working on the final piece of the modalities to ensure that we rollout the ZWL fuel facility.  I thank you.

HON. CHINOTIMBA: Thank you Madam Speaker, my supplementary question is how many months is it going to take us working on modalities whilst people are suffering?   We raised concerns over this issue when we were in Victoria Falls.  We are not young children who can just be fed porridge, we are adults and Zimbabwean citizens who are using the local currency. It would be better for the Hon. Minister to tell people the truth with specific dates and within a certain time frame. It is important for us to have a specific timeframe than to continue speculating.  This is affecting a lot of people who continuously hear about modalities that are being worked on.

THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER:  We have heard you Honourable.

THE MINISTER OF INFORMATION COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY, POSTAL AND COURIER SERVICES (HON. DR. MUSWERE):  Thank you Madam Speaker. I would like to thank Hon. Chinotimba for his question.  What I would like to assure him and this House is that before the end of this month, the Zimbabwean dollar fuel facility will be fully functional.  I thank you.

HON. NYABANI:  My supplementary question to the Minister is that it is a good point you are making, but I would like to ask how you are going to manage the fuel prices of diesel because people will end up selling the diesel you gave them with Zimbabwean dollars for  United States dollars.

HON. DR. MUSWERE:  Thank you Madam Speaker.  I think I indicated that part of the modalities and the conditions for any fuel station owner, the Ministry of Energy and Power Development through ZERA, will be in a position to deploy the National Fuel Management System.  Currently, the Fuel Management System that we have is called Matsimba and that is one of the conditions that if you apply for this particular Zimbabwean dollar fuel facility, you should also accept the fact that the National Fuel Management System should be installed at this particular garage. In addition to that, there will be a financial monitoring mechanism.  That is the framework I was talking about Madam Speaker, that ZERA will have the authority and access to receive weekly reports at each and every fuel station that will have participated in this facility.  Thank you Madam Speaker.

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