Tankers Drivers Union – TDU has refuted claims that local tanker drivers had planned to go on strike if Government did not implement the policy that reserves a 50% quota of awarding transportation contracts to locally based fuel transporters by all Oil marketing companies operating in the country.
However, the TDU has instead accused Oil Marketing Companies – OMCs of double standards and taking decisions that they are well aware will just cause discontent and lead to fuel shortages in the country.
TDU president Bob Ndalama said the union did not have any plans of going on strike but wanted to alert government that foreign fuel tanker drivers are being prioritized over the local tank drivers and companies.
The Union said the misunderstanding was caused by one of the tanker drivers, Billan Manengo, who said they will go on strike if government continued to prioritise foreign tank drivers over the local drivers.
Speaking in an interview with the Zambia Business Times (ZBT), Ndalama said the union is concerned that there is no order when it come to fuel or petroleum transportation in Zambia.
We have a situation were we note that when Zambian tank drivers go out to other countries to load fuel, from countries such as Tanzania or Mozambique to bring in the country, they are left out and only Tanzanian and Zimbabwean trucks are allowed to load fuel.
“We are not thinking of going on strike, all that the drivers wanted was to let the government know that while we are promoting foreigner truck drivers to work in Zambia, our own of local fuel tankers are packed,” the union leader said.
He said when government is talking about creating employment for the local people, the energy sector is moving in the opposite direction, because foreign tank drivers are being promoted or favored at the expense of the locals.
“If you go to Juba company you will find that trucks are parked, if you go to Kalif Motors or Swift Motors, you will find that trucks are parked and every other Zambian based transporting company that deals in the transportation of fuel products, you will find that trucks are parked,” he said.
Ndalama said only Zimbabwean Truck drivers are operating and if you look further, you will find that Zimbabwe does not own any company that provides fuel products to Zambia, they just go and pick it from Mozambique and bring it into Zambia.
He said from the look of things, somewhere somehow, there is a hand that is controlling the situation and government needs to be aware of such occurrence in the country because President Edgar Lungu is trying his level best to promote the local truck drivers and local employment.
Speaking in the same interview, TDU secretary general Humphrey Kapesha told ZBT that said government had a policy which allocated 50% of all transportation deals for fuel products imported into Zambia to be awarded to local transporters.
This was re-affirmed two months ago, suppliers were complaining that the landing cost of fuel into the country was too high and government had to put in measures so that the cost of landing fuel was reduced.
He said when approaching the government, the same OMCs were quoting prices for Zambian transporters and if you go around the garages, local trucks are parked, they are only giving business to Zimbabwean truck drivers.
Moreover, according to the SADC protocol, you will never find a foreign tanker carrying fuel going to Zimbabwe, the Zimbabwean government has reserved that sector strictly for locals. Go to Tanzania, Malawi it’s the same, so why should Zambia not simply reciprocate?.
Kepesha said government should take keen interest in the operations of OMCs as they have been trying to have the price of fuel increased even when there were measures that have been put in measures. Some of these OMCs are simply ignoring the governments directive, so there must be other interest they are serving.
He said government had removed 15% Value Added Tax (VAT) on petroleum imports and went further to remove duty on petroleum products, but unfortunately, these OMCs have now gone to hire Zimbabwean tanker drivers to bring fuel in Zambia, giving the excuse that Zambian transporters are expensive.
“Government should consider reciprocating what other countries are doing were only Zambian transporters are given first priority. The country now has because more capacity and volume. We have over 1000 trucks now, unlike some time back when we had limited trucks, local Zambian transporters have continued to invest in acquire more trucks horses and tankers”, Kepesha said.
He said government should come up with a policy to equally restrict foreign tankers and drivers from transporting fuel destined for Zambia for those countries that are not allowing Zambian transporter to truck in their goods and services. Let’s do so just like it is in South Africa, Tanzania and Zimbabwe, he told ZBT.
Energy minister Mathew Nkhuwa is on record to have threatened to withdraw Puma energy operating license in Zambia after it emerged that the OMC had consistently not replenished its retail service stations even after a deal had been struck to abolish VAT and other import duties and avert a fuel price hike.
