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GOVERNMENT has defended its decision to increase mandatory ethanol blending to 15 percent, saying car dealers condemning the fuel could be doing so only as a marketing gimmick.
Responding to questions in the National Assembly on Wednesday 2 July 2014, Energy and Power Development Deputy Minister Engineer Munacho Mutezo said:
“The quality of fuel is critical to Government. That is why we set up Zera (the Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority) to address those issues. Zera is there to ensure that all the fuel sold in the country is clean. On the issue of specific car suppliers forcing their customers to buy from one supplier and not the other, I think that is only a marketing issue by the vehicle provider but the law does not provide for that.”
Government recently increased the ethanol component in fuel from E10 to E15 in a move analysts said would help reduce local fuel prices.
However, Willowvale Mazda Motor Industries (WMMI) announced that the engines of its vehicles were not compatible with E15.
Some parliamentarians also indicated Croco Motors, which supplied them with vehicles, instructed them to only purchase fuel from Engen and Total service stations if their warranties were to remain. But Eng Mutezo doubted other filling stations could be selling poor quality petrol and said complaints should be directed to Zera.
Tinaye Agere
Online Reporter