National Oil Company of Malawi to inaugurate strategic fuel reserves
Government through the National Oil Company of Malawi (NOCMA) will on Wednesday December 6, 2017, inaugurate the Strategic Fuel Reserves at Kanengo in Lilongwe.
NOCMA Public Relations Officer, Telephorus Chigwenembe said the reserves have a combined storage capacity of 60 million litres, giving Malawi a two month fuel cover.
He said that Lilongwe and Blantyre depots each have 25 million litre capacities while Mzuzu’s capacity is 10 million litres.
“The reserves will ensure that there is continuous availability of fuel in the country,” he said, adding, “the reserves were constructed by Government of Malawi with a loan from Exim Bank of India.”
In terms of value of the loan, Chigwenembe said he was not best placed to comment as it was the Ministry of Finance representing government in the construction contract with Apollo International who was the contractor.
The strategic fuel reserves are expected to be inaugurated by President Professor Peter Mutharika.
Chigwenembe added that the reserves would be managed by NOCMA which is wholly owned by Government.
Registered in 2010, NOCMA’s mandate is to manage the country’s Strategic Fuel Reserve facilities, promote competition in the oil and gas industry and to promote oil and gas exploration activities in order to ensure stability and security of supply of liquid fuel and gas products.
Follow and Subscribe Nyasa TV :
In as much as the fuel reserves will serve a purpose in bolstering Malawis economy, I am not comfortable with NOCMA being wholly owned by the government. The history of wholly owned enterprises in Malawi is far from rosy and pretty. Cant they envolve a strategic stakeholder that specialised in fuel, like PUMA or any other stakeholder. At least involvement of other stakeholders will ensure there is no or minimal interferance on the part of the government in the administration of these fuel reserves.
Cholinga amwenyewa azitenga chuma kuMalawi kuno azipita nacho kwawo? Everything mwenye! Everything mwenye! AMalawi muzatukuka liti? KuZimbabwe a black Zimbabwean Kuda Tagwireyi owner of Sakunda Energy is a major player in the energy sector evening partnering government in large petroleum projects. Kuno kuMalawi muziti Puma! Puma! chani? Leave NOCMA to run these facilities. A lot of benefits are accruing to the country above all we save big time on forex unlike if PUMA was to partner NOCMA the next. If PUMA becomes a stakeholder in NOCMA it means they will be taking even more than what they are taking at… Read more »
Nkhani yabwino ngati iyi kudziko lathu ambiri saikapo mlomo pokhala kuti satha kuyamikira pamene zabwino zachitika. Koma zikalakwika everybody is like the guardian angel, kudzudzula boma mpaka kuyenda mumsewu ati demos. When will we recognise someone for doing a good job? How long are we willing to see our nation failing to succeed? For how long shall our negativity last? If we are to move forward we need mindset transformation. The change begins with you and me and not tomorrow but today. Bravo Govt , Bravo NOCOM.
Join the discussion that is a Malawi, ena amati Malalawi is a failed state
nkhani yabwino kutiko imeneyi…kuti umvesese zomwe zachitika mu ntchito imeneyi…uatangale thoooo walowapo…ndipo omwe atapindule ndi anthu ochepa…ife tikufuna pachitike zinthu zoti anthu onse azimva kukoma ngati kale nthawi ya kamuzu…christmas ikafika mwana moyo umachita kuuona kusintha kunja kumaziwika kuti tili mu nyengo ina. koma lero palibe kusiyana january ndi december zonse chimozimozi…