By NATION REPORTER
GOVERNMENT has introduced the national bio fuels blending programme in which it will blend ethanol with petroleum products in a bid to reduce the cost of petroleum products.
[ihc-hide-content ihc_mb_type=”show” ihc_mb_who=”4,5,6″ ihc_mb_template=”2″ ]
Speaking at the official opening of Surya Bio Energy Limited filling station in Lusaka, Minister of Energy Peter Kapala said access to affordable energy was vital to the economic and social development of the country.
Mr Kapala said government was doing everything possible to ensure that Zambians were given access to clean and affordable energy.
Mr Kapala said the blending of 20 percent ethanol and 80 percent of unleaded petrol had proved to work well in vehicles without causing any damages.
He disclosed that the programme would first run for six months as it was being monitored by government, the Ethanol Production of Zambia and Surya Bio Energy limited.
And Surya Bio Energy Limited chairperson Kamesh Patel said Zambia would no longer need to import fuel as the country could rise to a fuel-producing country using Ethanol.
He said ethanol was environment friendly as it had no emissions and that Surya company would depend on Zambian cassava farmers for the market to produce ethanol.
He has also commended the government for supporting the project and for allowing Surya Energy Limited to work on the ethanol plant.
U.S. Peace Corps swear in 20 new volunteers
By LUCY PHIRI
THE United States (US) government through the Peace Corps Zambia has sworn into service 20 new volunteers from the United States following 11 weeks of training in technical skills, language, and cross-cultural understanding.
U.S. Embassy Zambia Chargé d’Affaires Linnisa Wahid said when he officially swore in the 20 new Volunteers that since the Peace Corps volunteers arrived in Zambia in 1994, more than 2,500 Volunteers have lived and worked in rural communities throughout the country.
The volunteers will work with community members in rural areas for two years on locally prioritised education and health programmes in the Central, Eastern, Luapula, Northern, Muchinga, Northwestern, Southern, and Western provinces.
Eleven of the 20 volunteers will work under the Community Health Empowerment Project (CHEP) and nine under the Rural Education Development (RED) Project.
CHEP Volunteers work to increase the knowledge and skills of women to adopt practices that contribute to a healthy pregnancy, prevent malaria and new HIV infections, and improve equitable care, support, and treatment for people living with HIV and AIDS.
RED volunteers build the capacity of teachers to use gender-equitable practices in the classroom, improve students’ English skills, and plan and teach adult literacy classes.
In addition to their core responsibilities, all 20 volunteers will provide HIV/AIDS prevention assistance in their communities through the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).
The Minister of Health, Ms. Sylvia Masebo was the guest of honour at the ceremony, Permanent Secretary Joel Kamoko from the Ministry of Education, Western Province Minister Kapelwa Mbangweta, Inunda Meimanene and Inunda Namamba from the Western Province Representing the Litunga and Chief Chamuka VI of the Lenje people were special guests.
[/ihc-hide-content]
