PRESIDENT Rupiah Banda has expressed disappointment about the current shortage of petrol and directed the Ministry of Energy to allow oil marketing companies (OMCs) to source more fuel.

Mr Banda said yesterday at a Press briefing in Lusaka before he left for a regional summit in Uganda that he was disappointed that the logistics for the importation of fuel were inadequate.

The president said he had personally decided to get involved in addressing the fuel crisis because the situation was not improving despite various assurances.

"I am particularly upset that logistics for the importation of fuel products are below expectation. In addition, the nation has not been given an accurate picture," Mr Banda said.

"I had to personally get involved because the situation was not improving despite several assurances," the president said.

He apologised to the nation, especially the motorists, for the inconvenience caused by the fuel shortage.

The Government, through Kuwait's International Petroleum Group (IPG) and Dalbit Petroleum of Kenya would import 50 million litres of diesel and 30 million litres of diesel.

The Government also asked OMCs to source 20 million litres of diesel and 11 million litres of petrol and waived import duty on fuel to facilitate the exercise although OMCs have not imported any fuel because the decision had not been effected.

Mr Banda said the OMCs should be let to import more fuel than what the Government would bring in through IPG and Dalbit.

Mr Banda ordered that the statutory instrument to allow the OMCs import fuel affordably be signed and issued with immediate effect and the Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) should ensure that fuel tankers cleared the trucks urgently.

The president said while adequate supplies of petrol had been procured, there have been delays in the arrival of the tankers for various reasons.

"No well-meaning person wants to see people being inconvenienced in the manner they have been over the last week," he said.

He said all tankers carrying supplies must forthwith be expressly cleared and he had instructed the Inspector General of Police to escort all the tankers carrying fuel into the country to enable them reach the targeted destinations quicker.

He said, however, he had no intentions of firing Minister of Energy Kenneth Konga and Permanent Secretary Peter Mumba and would allow them to work and take responsibility for their actions.