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MY ministry is being piloted to prepare procurement plans for the purchasing of petroleum to promote efficiency and transparency, Energy Minister Mathew Nkhuwa has said.

Mr Nkhuwa said his ministry was an agent for the procurement of petroleum and petroleum products therefore it was being piloted by the Zambian Public Procurement Authority (ZPPA) for the task.

The minister said that ZAPPA had tasked the ministry to prepare procurement plans as a way to promote efficiency and transparency in procurement of goods and services.

Mr Nkhuwa said this development would bring sanity in the procurement of petroleum in the country.

He said that the procurement of the petroleum would be done in the right manner for the betterment of the country.

Meanwhile, the minister has encouraged Zambians to invest in the fuel sub sector.

Mr Nkhuwa however said the major reason many Zambians were not engaging in fuel business was because the investment capital was high.

He said those who were willing to get into the fuel sub sector would be given a go ahead by the Government as long as they had the financial muscle.

"Some people say that Government does not give Zambians chance to get into the fuel sub sector. I might say that the entry point is high, it is the capital requirement to get into this industry which is expensive.

“It is not that there is any red tape, there is no red tape at all. As long as people have money enough they can get into this sub sector," Mr Nkhuwa said.