The United Party for National Development (UPND) has said that various energy reforms are being applied in order to reduce fuel prices and make the sector more viable.
UPND Energy Committee Member Noel Nkhoma has said that it is expected that prices of fuel will come down by June this year.
Mr Nkhoma explains that as part of reforms, the government announced that it will no longer participate in the supply of oil but will be a regulator to encourage more private sector participation and in turn influence reduced prices.
He says the government has also invested in fuel reserves to ensure that the country has enough stocks to cushion it from external factors that influence price increments.
He says the current fuel prices being experienced are being influenced by various factors which include the war between Russia and Ukraine.
Mr Nkhoma explains that Russia is among the largest distributors of oil in the world and some distributors have taken advantage of the current crisis in that country to hike prices.
He says the UPND is in line with the party manifesto and is implementing long-term measures that will benefit the economy.
Mr. Nkhoma says the removal of fuel subsidies was done because it was not beneficial and it has left the government in a 700 million dollars debt to oil companies.
Speaking during a media briefing in Lusaka today, Mr Nkhoma said the UPND administration inherited an economy in distress and is determined to reboot the economy.
And UPND Energy Committee Chairperson Charles Kaisala said the pricing model by the Energy Regulation Board – ERB- to review prices every month is done to ensure major determinants of prices are considered.
Meanwhile, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Center for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency(SACREEE) has said that Zambia is one of the few countries in the region that has significantly achieved energy efficiency through the introduction of energy-saving lighting measures.
SACREEE Lead Renewable Energy Expert Readlay Makaliki says that Zambia has cut down on energy wastage resulting in savings for both individuals at the household level and the heavy power consumers such as mines and industries.
Mr Makaliki has however called on regulatory agencies to ensure strict compliance with Statutory Instrument number 16 of 2016 which banned the importation and manufacturing of non-energy saving lighting appliances.
Speaking at Skills for Energy in Southern Africa (SESA) media training, Mr Makaliki wondered why imported incandescent bulbs that consume a lot of power are being openly sold on the market contrary to the law.
And Ministry of Energy Principal Energy Officer Brian Mainza said Zambia has a lot of untapped potential in renewable energies such as wind, solar and geothermal which needs to be developed.