Members of
Parliament on the trade, industries and tourism committee want the government to
enact laws that will foster consumer protection within the fuel
industry.
While inspecting
the oil reserves on Friday in Jinja City, the MPs said that there was hoarding
of fuel by oil dealers across the country. They argue that under the
current circumstances where there are no laws to caution the businessmen
against such practices, the final consumers are hit hard.
The call comes at a time when there is a spike in fuel prices with a liter of petrol
going for as high as 10,000 Shillings in some places.
The
committee chairperson, Mwine Mpaka says that, since all the fuel reserves were
leased out to private investors for a period of 10 years, who in turn pay a
storage fee of five Shillings per liter, the investors have the liberty of
hoarding fuel for their own interests without any government
interference.
//cue in: “we have discovered…
Cue out…can do nothing,”.
The Buhweju County MP, Francis Mwijukye says that some of the biggest fuel dealers
are officials attached to government agencies, with an interest in optimizing
profits through fuel hoarding.
//cue in: “there’s nowhere to…
Cue out…been going up,”.
Olive Katwesigye,
the Buhweju District Woman MP says that fuel is the epitome for the thriving
of the country’s goods and services sector therefore, responsible government
agencies should draft standard measures aimed at addressing all forms of fuel
scarcities, because delays contribute to the complete crippling of the
economy.
//cue in: “we have established…
Cue out…the policy somehow,”.
Mohammed
Kato, the Katerera County MP says that responsible agencies within the Ministry
of Energy, should liaise with other landlocked neighboring countries to draft
regional trade friendly laws and foster the revamping of oil reserves, which
will enable truckers from DRC, Rwanda, and Burundi, to access fuel in Jinja
rather than heading to Kenya.
//cue in: “it is very…
Cue out…in the region,”.
UNOC’s
General Manager, John Bosco Habomugisha says that there are ongoing
discussions with officials from both the ministries of energy and finance to
ensure that, they facilitate and equip new fuel reserves throughout the
different parts of the country.
