By SILUMESI MALUMO and SIMON MUNTEMBA
THE massive job losses that will be created as a result of closing down Indeni Petroleum Refinery in Ndola is not in tandem with the new dawn government’s promise to create more employment opportunities, former deputy Finance Minister Danny Pule has said.
And Golden Party of Zambia (GPZ) president Jackson Silavwe has said selling a national economic strategic asset like Indeni Petroleum Refinery Company is a wrong short term quick fix it measure with negative long term effects on Zambian people.
Dr Pule said Government promised to create more jobs, but with this move there would be massive redundancies.
He said voluntary separation which had been proposed would see many people on the streets.
“This is not what we were promised. The new dawn government promised more jobs not taking away jobs,” said Dr Pule.
He said the country would experience shortages of fuel due to the decision made to place Indeni Refinery under care and maintenance as it would lead to its closure. Recently, the minister of Finance and National Planning, Dr Situmbeko Musokotwane said the government had no money to revive the operations of Indeni.
And last week, the minister of Energy, Mr Peter Kapala announced the placing of the oil refinery on care and maintenance.
Meanwhile, Golden Party president Jackson Silavwe said it is clear that Indeni will be sold.
Mr Silavwe said selling of strategic economic assets under the structural adjustment programmes of the 90’s during the privatisation process brought a lot of suffering to people.
