Zimbabwe will stick to the deadline to phase out the high sulphur diesel 500 by the end of this month and cut the price of the cleaner diesel 50 by about nine percent, energy minister Simon Khaya Moyo has told Parliament.
In 2007, Zimbabwe moved from diesel 5000 to diesel 500. Along with Mozambique, Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe, who also use the Beira port for fuel receipts, Harare agreed a June 2017 target to switch from Diesel 500 to diesel 50 but agreed to give fuel dealers a grace period to clear old stocks,.
The countries intend to move to an even lower sulphur fuel Diesel 10 by 2020.
“The country is phasing out diesel 500 in February, and diesel 50 will be brought in and transported through (Beira) pipelines,” Khaya Moyo said on Wednesday in response to a question by Gokwe Member of Parliament Dorothy Mangami who had asked him to explain how government intends to curb arbitrary fuel price hikes.
“The price of diesel 50 will drop from $1.36 per litre to $1.24,” he said.
At the end of February, Khaya Moyo said his ministry will amend the Petroleum Act to criminalise the importation of diesel 500, which he said will have to be phased out by May this year.- The Source
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