Maputo — Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi on Thursday declared that his government will work to guarantee the availability of good quality petroleum products at competitive prices, as well as sufficient fuel reserves to meet the country’s needs.
He was speaking at the inauguration of the Petroleum Logistics Terminal in the southern city of Matola, built by the Portuguese fuel company Galp, in partnership with the Kuwait-based Independent Petroleum Group (IPG).
Nyusi said that the country’s increased capacity to receive and store liquid fuels will improve Mozambique’s efficiency and competitiveness in supplying petroleum products to neighbouring countries through the ports and rail corridors of Maputo, Beira and Nacala.
“This investment could generate a greater volume of business for all stakeholders in the value chain, and it will have a multiplier effect through the creation of new jobs for young Mozambicans”, added the President.
Of particular important was the increased supply of LPG cooking gas via the new terminal, which Nyusi forecast would lead to a decline in the consumption of firewood and charcoal, thus reducing the pressure on Mozambican forests, and improving the health of the people, mostly women, who cook household meals.
“We note with satisfaction that this undertaking will contribute to mass use of cooking gas as an alternative to the wood fuel which is still widely used by the population”, he said.
The new terminal represents an investment of 100 million US dollars. It can store 60,000 cubic metres of liquid fuels, and 6,000 cubic metres of gas. Nyusi regarded this as a major step forward in implementing the government’s programme to expand infrastructures that promote socio-economic development.
Nyusi noted that Mozambique does not produce petroleum, and so currently imports every year around 1.7 million cubic metres of petroleum products (diesel, petrol, kerosene, cooking gas and jet fuel).