Residents of Sepik, Papua New Guinea can look forward to relief from prolonged fuel shortages as Zap Fuel, a private distributor, prepares to establish a temporary fuel storage facility in Wewak.
Governor for East Sepik Province Hon. Allan Bird announced this on January 19.
“I am pleased to advise our people that a fuel distributor is ready to locate 600,000 liters of temporary fuel storage to Wewak as soon as possible and supply fuel to the Sepik region,” Governor Bird stated.
After two years of chronic fuel shortages in Sepik, Zap Fuel, which already supplies fuel to Manus, Gulf, and the Autonomous Region of Bougainville (AROB), committed to addressing Sepik’s demand of over one million liters of petroleum products per month.
“This week, we will connect them with potential business partners in Wewak so they can start as soon as possible,” Bird revealed.
Over the coming year, the East Sepik Provincial Government (ESPG) will assist Zap Fuel in securing land for a permanent tank farm to ensure sustainable fuel supply options.
In addition to the fuel crisis, Governor Bird acknowledged another pressing issue affecting Sepik residents: unreliable power supply.
“Our next challenge is to solve our continuous power blackouts. We need reliable power supplies, and PPL [PNG Power Limited] sadly doesn’t have the solutions,” he said.
“This year, we will find solutions and seek out the partners who will help us with solutions.”
Bird emphasized that the Zap Fuel initiative is a fully private sector-driven solution, with the ESPG serving only as a facilitator.
“The fuel supply by Zap Fuels is a 100% private sector solution. ESPG will only help to facilitate. We will not be providing any funding for the business,” he clarified.
Governor Bird concluded by welcoming businesses like Zap Fuel that are committed to delivering practical solutions for the people of Sepik.
