‘Fine unlicensed fuel dealers crowding sector’
GOVERNMENT should fine unlicensed fuel traders to avoid overcrowding of in experienced individuals in the sector, the Oil Marketing Companies Association of Zambia (OMCAZ) has urged.
OMCAZ President, Kafula Mubanga said the govern ment should come up with punitive measures to curb the illegal trade of petroleum products.
Dr. Mubanga said in an in terview that anybody trading in fuel must have a license failure to which they should be fined so that sanity is brought in the market.
He said there is a need for government to move in and put a law that protects the sale of fuel via licensed OMCs to avoid the leakages in the subsector.
“These unlicensed fuel traders buy off most of the product and stock them and wait for a time when there is a bit of shortage then they hit the market with a high price to the OMCs and that makes OMCs lose business.
“These are leakages that the government needs to work on. Anybody trading in fuel must be licensed, if not, must be fined and that way, you will see that there is san ity on the market,” he said.
Dr. Mubanga appealed to the government to ensure that tenders are floated to licensed OMCs only and not unlicenced ones through permits despite having the money to tender for fuel im portation because such ones lack the experience to han dle fuel which is a hazardous product.
He said the government should ensure that only those with valid licenses and experience are allowed to trade in petroleum products to avoid crowding the sector with inexperienced traders.
“Ensure that those OMCs available and able to per form are given chance to operate to protect the mar ket as opposed to working with commodity suppliers who are given weavers to bring the product because they have got the muscle,” he said.