Experts in the energy sector have called upon the Zambian government to find more investors to invest in the country’s oil pipelines in order for Zambia to be oil secure.
Speaking in an interview with Lusaka Star, an Energy Expert Mr. Bornface Zulu said government needs to have flexible policies in the energy sector that will work in introducing new oil pipelines in the country.
Mr. Zulu said by having flexible taxes, polices and procedures, Zambia can attract more developmental players to invest in the oil pipelines.
He added that there should be other alternative sources of energy that can be utilized and the Zambian government needs to facilitate the needed input.
“As government seeks to develop the country, it must heavily look into the cost of only having one source of energy and look into investing in multiple energy sources such as electric vehicles,” he said.
He said that government needs to ensure that there is a diverse of energy sources that will be balanced in the transportation sector rather than having 29 percent of vehicles running on petroleum products only.
“We can look at electric mobility which is an alternative that the government can invest in because the price of oil on the market continues to increase,” he said.
Meanwhile, an Economic Expert Kelvin Chisanga said there is need to have proper security around oil transportation and see how best the country can explore the opportunity that is being presented in Angola.
“This is where government can help revive the energy sector in terms  of policy to ensure that we have an advantage to buy oil from Angola to help increase oil supply in the country,” Mr. Chisanga said.
Mr. Chisanga said importing fuel using the finished model of pipelines has issues which may lead to leakages and advised government to bring in the private sector to help in finding other means to safely carry the commodity.
This was said in reaction to a statement made by Minister of Finance and National Planning, Dr. Situmbeko Musokotwane who called for investment in an oil pipeline, saying that the TAZAMA pipeline is proving to be not enough.