By KETRA KALUNGA
The government has procured 50 more fuel tankers which will be coming into the country soon as part of its program to empower youths in the transport sector.
And the government has disclosed that it targets to procure about 1 500 fuel tankers at the end of five years.
Ministry of Youths, Sports and Art, Permanent secretary, John Phiri said in an interview that the government wants to ensure that youths are empowered by placing them at the center of fuel product transportation.
Dr. Phri said the government’s focus is to ensure that the youths are empowered so that they are able to run the country’s economy.
“We want to have Zambians at the core of transportation of fuel products. Our focus is at the end of the day, we want youths with a lot of energy and muscle to run the economy of this country through fuel transportation which is one of the drivers of the economy,” he said.
And Dr. Phiri has rubbished speculations that some fuel tankers were impounded by cadres saying all the 50 motor vehicles are safe and are with the beneficiaries.
He said it was regrettable that some people were trying to shoot down an initiative aimed at empowering the youths with employment instead of supporting it.
“It’s unfortunate that people want to create wrong perceptions about a good initiative such as this, none of them is missing according to the information i have, they are with the beneficiaries, I don’t know if there is any fuel tanker which has been taken by anyone,” he said.
DR. Phiri has further refuted reports that the 50 fuel tankers that were procured don’t meet the required standards.
He said the tankers are of good standard neither are they second-hand because they were bought straight from the show rooms.
