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Fuel reserves bring Mzuzu new tarmac road

Mzuzu City residents who blamed government for constructing maize silos at Sonda without tarmacking a nearly five-kilometre earth road to the facilities have a reason to smile.

For two weeks, contractors have been mobilising workers and equipment in preparation for the upgrading of the rugged road from  Katoto to the 10 million-litre Sonda fuel reserves which Indian construction firm, Apollo International Limited, was supposed to hand over to National Oil Company of Malawi (Nocma) last year.

fuel-reserves
fuel-reserves

Nocma communications manager Telephorus Chigwenembe said the commissioning of the fuel reserves have been pushed to a later date to pave the way for the road upgrade whose preparatory works started this month.

“Initial negotiations did not include critical elements associated with the project such as the installation of offloading meters and the construction of access roads to the three sites,” he said.

The three facilities—in Lilongwe, Blantyre and Mzuzu—worth about $26.5 million (K18 billion) under a line of credit from Exim Bank of India,  guarantees the  country enough stocks to keep the economy running for two and a half months in case of disruptions in the fuel supply chain system.

Chibavi West ward councillor Denis Moyo thanked government for upgrading the road to ensure that it is fit for use by tankers transporting fuel to and from the fuel depot.

The project will be handed over to Nocma after completion of works.n

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