I HELPED UPND A LOT, SAYS AGRO FUEL OWNER
. . . I’ll continue being the main fuel supplier …
AGRO FUEL managing director Shashkant Patel has vowed that for as long as the United Party for National Development (UPND) continues to be in power, he will be the main petroleum supplier in the country despite selling the commodity at an exorbitant price.
Patel has told his close associates that he did too much for the UPND when the party was in opposition and will, therefore, ensure that he is the country’s main supplier of petroleum products.
“Shashi’s arrogance won’t end. Despite all the public outcry over Agro Fuel supplying fuel at very expensive prices, the man has said that, for as long as UPND remains in office, he will be the only supplier to supply petroleum products. He claims officials at the Ministry of Energy are all in his pockets,” his close associates have said.
Last month, the government introduced the open access regime for fuel supply but Agro Fuel has frustrated the move by filling the entire TAZAMA Pipeline with its expensive petroleum products.
“You can imagine that despite the man preventing others from using the pipeline, he is still saying he will continue to be the main supplier. Patel is very arrogant,” the source close to his associate said.
For the past three years, Agro Fuel has been supplying petroleum products at $113 per metric tonne but since the open access regime was introduced last month, the company reduced the $54 per metric tonne.
“In the last three years, the man has made over K8 billion and still insists that he will continue to be the sole supplier. Worse still, he boasts that officials at the Ministry of Energy and all directors at TAZAMA Pipeline are all in his pockets,” said the source.
The source further said that the earlier the government and, particularly, the Ministry of Energy ceased tolerating Patel, the better as that would be beneficial to the country.
Source: Zambian Watchdog