Zambian oil transporters fume over costs

ZAMBIAN petroleum transporters have objected to the payment of a minimum of US$ 2400 to Tanzanian authorities to ferry government procured fuel from that country as their trucks are classified under abnormal loads.

The transporters have now demanded that Government must direct all fuel suppliers to abandon the Tanzanian corridor and use alternative routes or give all the fuel transportation contracts for fuel coming through that country to the Zambia Railways Limited (ZRL).

Speaking to the Daily

Nation yesterday, Petroleum Transporters Association of Zambia (PTAZ) secretary general Benson Tembo accused Tanzania of frustrating Zambian transporters to preserve contracts for its companies yet the fuel was procured by Zambia.

Mr. Tembo wondered why the Zambian government “was being nice” to Tanzania despite their pleas that it must do something to stop the slave treatment they were subjected to as Tanzania was purposefully abrogating the SADC protocols on trade.

“All our trucks under the latest regulation which came into effect on March 1, 2019, are regarded as abnormal loads in that country and for us to be allowed to load government fuel, we are supposed to apply for an abnormal load by advertising in their local papers. After advertising in the paper, that is when we apply for an abnormal load.

“However, this is a long and tedious process because after advertising, they have to wait for comments from the public and if people object, then we cannot be given that permit and even when successful, we have to pay at least US$ 2400 in total and this does not make any economic sense,” Mr. Tembo said.