Govt concerned about steady fuel flow to stabilizing prices – PS

By Francis Lubega

14^th July 2022

Government has continued to stay silent over several calls to regulate the soaring fuel prices but indicates that all efforts are on the steady flow to avert total scarcity in the country.

Irene Pauline Batebe, the Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Energy and Minerals noted this while appearing before the Parliamentary Committee on Government Assurance and Implementation on Thursday.

Batebe’s response follows concerns from MPs sitting on the Government Assurance and Implementation Committee who on Wednesday questioned the Ministry over failure to curb the skyrocketing fuel prices in the country.

In April 2022, the State Minister for Industry David Bahati and his counterpart of Energy Peter Lokeris presented a statement in the House committing that the Government would prevail over the escalating fuel prices in the country.

The two Ministers committed that the Government would take stringent measures including among others the revocation of trade licenses against fuel dealers found hoarding fuel and taking advantage of the ever-increasing fuel prices.

But the Committee led by the Kalungu West County Joseph Gonzaga Ssewungu scrutinized the assurances, promises and undertakings by the Government.

Ssewungu tasked Butebe, who was accompanied by Lokeris and state Minister of Trade and Industries Harriet Natabaazi to explain if they had issued any punitive measures, but the trio remained silent.

Batebe explained that the Ministry’s focus is to ensure a steady flow of fuel since the worst situation could be a total absence of fuel in the country ahead of the upcoming Kenya elections slated for August 9^th 2022.

She revealed that the Government through the Uganda National Oil Company –UNOC has ordered eight million liters using trade finance instruments to support sufficient fuel stocks.