By NATION REPORTER
The current shortage of fuel being experienced in Chipata as a result of the price differential between wholesale prices in Beira with the price the Energy Regulation Board (ERB) has set is likely to affect the entire country, stakeholders have bemoaned.
Stakeholders like Oil Marketing Companies (OMC’s) have expressed concern saying the price differential was creating a problem and if left unchecked would spill over to all the provinces.
Chipata has in a couple of days been hit with a shortage of fuel which has made a number of stakeholders raise alarm as this might trickle to other parts of the country.
A check by the Daily Nation revealed that the town did not have adequate stocks of fuel and most vehicles were marooned at filling stations.
A number of OMC have indicated that this problem might escalate because of the high cost of transporting the commodity from the port of Beira to the intended target. The OMC’s have indicated that if nothing is done, the shortage would spread countrywide and have negative impact on the economy.
A complaint has been raised that the standard figure that has been given by the ERB was not fair therefore making it difficult to meet the costs of transportation and other logistics.
And some residents said they hoped that this matter would be dealt with once and for all because a number of businesses would be affected if nothing was done.
“It is serious challenge because the town does not have fuel stocks which is bad because most business entities are going to lose out since fuel is the catalyst,” the distraught resident said.
