Harare (New Ziana) Zimbabwe will soon roll out a new electronic fuel management system, expected to curb malpractices in the petroleum sector, a Cabinet Minister said on Tuesday.

The National Fuel Management System developed by the Harare Institute of Technology, with support from the Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority (ZERA), will monitor fuel stocks at individual service stations using electronic dipsticks.

Addressing a weekly post Cabinet media briefing, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa said a pilot of the system had been completed.

“Government is pleased to inform the public that this pilot phase of the National Fuel Management System has been completed, and the system has been proved to be robust and ready for full implementation.

“The system, which is set be rolled out soon across the fuel distribution value chain, including at retail outlets, will ensure judicious management of fuel resources in the country and provide real-time information for decision-making,” she said.

Cabinet earlier on resolved that a technology-based fuel management system, which provides real-time fuel tracking capability, should be developed and implemented throughout the country.

This followed rampant malpractices in the fuel sector, which were negatively impacting the wider economy.

Mutsvangwa said the objectives of the system included to improve the quality of fuel service delivery; to reduce the amount of foreign currency required to import fuel and to reduce pilferage of fuel purchased using local currency and selling it on the US$-denominated market.

Government also expects the new system to establish the actual national fuel requirements per province and to regulate fuel importations which use foreign currency obtained from
the foreign currency auction market.

New Ziana