Parliament launches inquiry into fuel pricing, summons Local Government secretary over proliferation of service stations

AN inquiry into fuel pricing is underway as Zimbabweans continue to pay high prices for the petroleum products, Energy and Power Development Parliamentary Committee Chairperson Charlton Hwende has said. “As the Energy Committee, we are conducting an inquiry into fuel pricing. There have been complaints from the public that our fuel is very expensive and taxes are too high,” Hwende told journalists Tuesday. “There is a separate inquiry underway on the pricing of fuel. The other one concerns the proliferation of service stations in residential areas.” Government recently increased fuel prices and blamed the Middle East crisis following the war between the US and Iran, which led to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Zimbabwe is currently ranked as the country with the second-highest fuel prices after Malawi. In urban areas, especially residential suburbs, the Ministry of Local Government has allocated stands for service stations, drawing complaints from Harare residents. “We have had many complaints that licences for service stations are being issued everywhere, close to residential areas, posing serious risks to citizens,” Hwende said. “As a result of those complaints, we are also conducting that inquiry. It is because of this that we requested the Minister, Daniel Garwe, and the Permanent Secretary for Local Government, John Bhasera, to appear before the committee. “During the first phase of consultations, it emerged that for much of last year and the year before, the minister had instructed local authorities to stop processing licences for service stations. During that period, it was the minister and the ministry itself issuing those licences.” Hwende said most of the service stations of concern were in residential areas and were approved by the Ministry of Local Government. “Because of this, the committee felt the Minister and the Permanent Secretary, as the Chief Accounting Officer, must attend. They were supposed to come last week. I spoke to the Permanent Secretary and he promised to be here today. Unfortunately, they did not show up. “Because of the seriousness of the inquiry and the need for Parliament to maintain the integrity of its processes, the committee has resolved to summon the Permanent Secretary to appear next Tuesday. In terms of our standing rules, the Clerk of Parliament will begin the process of summoning so they can appear and we can complete the inquiry.” He warned that failure to attend would lead to police action. “If he doesn’t come, we will send police to bring him because that is the point of issuing summons. We will have to drag him to the committee,” Hwende said. The post Parliament launches inquiry into fuel pricing, summons Local Government secretary over proliferation of service stations appeared first on NewZimbabwe.com .