Southern province permanent secretary Bernard Namachila has commended the Energy Regulation Board –ERB for its consideration to support local entrepreneurs interested in setting up filling stations in rural districts.
Mr Namachila said it was important that areas such as Sinazeze, Namwala and Gwembe were being considered to be supported in terms of setting up the filling stations.
Mr Namachila was speaking in Livingstone today when Energy Regulation Board chairman Dr George Chabwera and his delegation comprising board members called on him in Livingstone.
Mr Namachila observed that it was important to set up filling stations in the rural districts of the province because of its farming nature.
And Mr Namachila also observed that accessibility to electricity was important to all sections of society if indiscriminate charcoal burning was to be addressed.
And speaking earlier, ERB board chairperson Dr George Chabwera said the board has already had discussions with interested entrepreneurs in Namwala, Sinazeze and Gwembe adding that the entry points had been lowered so that people in these areas could come on board.
He said his board was encouraged by small enterprenuers who wanted to go into the petroleum business and pledged to assist with the Citizenship Economic Empowerment Community (CEEC) fund.
”As a board, we are encouraged by these small enterprises who want to go into the petrol business and residents should take advantage of the lowered entry points,” he said.
Dr Chabwera said the team were in Livingstone for the public hearings of the application by the Zambia Electricity Supply Corporation-ZESCO to adjust electricity tariffs.
He said ERB wanted to deal with the provision of petrol stations as many people were having difficulties in accessing the commodity in the province.