Member of Parliament for Ngami constituency, Carter Hikuama, has decried government’s call to ban the use of jerry-can containers to buy fuel at service stations.
Hikuama said in the Ngami Constituency and the whole of the North West Region they require fuel daily to operate their boreholes and other farming activities.
Recently the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Mineral Resources, Green Technology and Energy Security, Mmetla Masire, cited stockpiling of fuel by consumers and prevalent use of jerry cans as some of the causes of fuel shortage.
The Ngami legislator complained that businesses were going to be adversely affected as most, especially in the Okavango delta, use engine boats that require fuel on a daily basis to transport clients and members of the community. “Regrettably it is difficult to take our water pump engines and boats to filling stations. How then can we stop using jerry cans to buy fuel,” he wondered.
He said that what has been identified as issues of concern to the Ministry was not really a concern to both the consumers and public at large. “The public’s concern is the short supply of fuel in the country that has negatively affected their daily lives. The PS’ press release is deficient as it does not come out clear on the real or specific cause for disruption of our fuel supply chains,” he added.
He said that if the PS cannot feed the nation with adequate information on the state of fuel in the country, he should not expect them not to resort to panic buying and hoarding of fuel.
He said that as a nation they are interested in knowing the real cause to the disruption of fuel supply.
He however appreciated the Ministry’s reassurances on the anxious public and expressed hope that the situation would normalise.
