Swapo MP supports 'ngungula' fuel
Govt urged to reconsider
Known as 'ngungula', petrol from Angola that is smuggled into Namibia has been highlighted as one of NamRA's headaches.
Swapo member of parliament in the National Council, John Likando, has called on the government to reconsider its hard-line stance on the importation of Angolan fuel, infamously known by locals along the two countries' borders as 'ngungula'.
The fuel, he said, is cheaper than the kind imported internationally, and is a welcome relief for rural communities close to the border.
Fuel from Angola, which is illegally imported into Namibia through the porous border between the two countries, has been highlighted as a headache for the Namibia Revenue Agency (NamRA) and government in general. Namibian fuel retail businesses in the north have also reported huge income losses, as motorists prefer the cheap, smuggled fuel.
"The issue of ngungula remains debatable. The fuel we are using comes from the [Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries] and it is very expensive for us in the rural areas. If I tell you how much it costs me to fill up an old bakkie, it is quite a lot of money. Whereas the fuel from our neighbour Angola costs me less than N$600,” he said.
“And you are calling us names; people have been telling us that this fuel will damage our vehicles. Maybe that should be interrogated. Why are we using fuel from here?" Likando wanted to know.
He was reacting to a parliamentary standing committee report on public accounts and the economy tabled in the National Council by a member of that house, Peter Kazongominja.
According to Kazongominja, the committee found that the border fences between Namibia and Angola are in a dilapidated state. "Rehabilitation of damaged border fences, supplemented by the use of the latest technology, [can] counter the smuggling of illicit goods," he said.
Difficult situation
Two months ago, mines and energy minister Tom Alweendo - a fierce critic of ngungula - said the solution would be to police the border, but he acknowledged that the police do not have enough capacity to combat the situation.
“It’s really difficult for them [the Namibian Police] to [do so], unless you really want to have a continuous contingent of police across the borders. All the alternatives we've tried are simply not working and as long as [Angola’s fuel price remains unchanged], we are unlikely to deal with this problem,” he said.
According to Global Petrol Prices, a litre of petrol costs about N$6.30 in Angola, compared to Namibia’s N$22.20.
Likando further pointed out that he is surprised that the 32-page report makes no mention of Chinese businesses.
"I was at Chinatown over the weekend and they did not even give me a receipt. They don’t even [have card facilities]. But for a poor man or woman who is selling along the streets, you are taxing us, even when we put up a barbershop.
“It must appear in the report. I will propose that the report be put forward for further study and research so that we can [include] more recommendations," he said.
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The fuel, he said, is cheaper than the kind imported internationally, and is a welcome relief for rural communities close to the border.
Fuel from Angola, which is illegally imported into Namibia through the porous border between the two countries, has been highlighted as a headache for the Namibia Revenue Agency (NamRA) and government in general. Namibian fuel retail businesses in the north have also reported huge income losses, as motorists prefer the cheap, smuggled fuel.
"The issue of ngungula remains debatable. The fuel we are using comes from the [Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries] and it is very expensive for us in the rural areas. If I tell you how much it costs me to fill up an old bakkie, it is quite a lot of money. Whereas the fuel from our neighbour Angola costs me less than N$600,” he said.
“And you are calling us names; people have been telling us that this fuel will damage our vehicles. Maybe that should be interrogated. Why are we using fuel from here?" Likando wanted to know.
He was reacting to a parliamentary standing committee report on public accounts and the economy tabled in the National Council by a member of that house, Peter Kazongominja.
According to Kazongominja, the committee found that the border fences between Namibia and Angola are in a dilapidated state. "Rehabilitation of damaged border fences, supplemented by the use of the latest technology, [can] counter the smuggling of illicit goods," he said.
Difficult situation
Two months ago, mines and energy minister Tom Alweendo - a fierce critic of ngungula - said the solution would be to police the border, but he acknowledged that the police do not have enough capacity to combat the situation.
“It’s really difficult for them [the Namibian Police] to [do so], unless you really want to have a continuous contingent of police across the borders. All the alternatives we've tried are simply not working and as long as [Angola’s fuel price remains unchanged], we are unlikely to deal with this problem,” he said.
According to Global Petrol Prices, a litre of petrol costs about N$6.30 in Angola, compared to Namibia’s N$22.20.
Likando further pointed out that he is surprised that the 32-page report makes no mention of Chinese businesses.
"I was at Chinatown over the weekend and they did not even give me a receipt. They don’t even [have card facilities]. But for a poor man or woman who is selling along the streets, you are taxing us, even when we put up a barbershop.
“It must appear in the report. I will propose that the report be put forward for further study and research so that we can [include] more recommendations," he said.
[email protected]
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