Uproar as Botswana Oil takes over fuel imports :: Mmegi Online

Botswana Oil (BOL) is set to enjoy the exclusive right to import 90% of the country’s fuel supplies from April 1 next year, a move that has outraged retailers who say the monopoly will effectively kill the industry.

BOL, the state oil company, has been angling for a dedicated quota for years, under which it would exclusively import most of the 1.2 billion litres of fuel consumed in the country every year, and resell this to retailers such as Engen, Total, Puma, Caltex and the wholesalers.

BOL argues that an exclusive import quota will help it promote effective citizen empowerment in an industry dominated by large, foreign multinationals. In addition, BOL says the import quota would ensure security and stability of supply, while anchoring the businesses cases of other developments such as the long-planned Coal to Liquids project.

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