Mines and Energy minister Tom Alweendo says calls for the country to import cheap fuel from Angola are misguided as the neighboring country is also a net importer of the precious liquid.
This comes as pressure continues to mount on the government from consumers after petrol and diesel prices have increased by 51% and 60% respectively in the last 12 months, contributing to rampant smuggling of cheap fuel from Angola.
“We have been receiving calls that we will start to import our fuel from Angola because it is cheap. The fact is that Angola buys 80% of its fuel needs from the same international market where we buy our fuel, and they buy it at the same price. It therefore does not make any sense for Angola to sell us fuel at a cheaper price than what we currently pay. The only reason why fuel is cheaper in Angola is that they make use of the revenue they receive from the export of their crude oil to subsidize the price to the consumer,” he said in Parliament during his ministry’s budget motivation.
