Tanzanian PM says govt to continue holding talks with businessmen whose consignment has been held
Following a nationwide shortage of cooking oil, Tanzania's Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa has ordered thatconsignments of the commodity being held at the Dar es Salaam port be released in three days.
A statement from the PM on the matter was shared in Parliament yesterday following Speaker Job Ndungai’s request that the government respond to the pressing matter.
“We give three days from tomorrow for the cooking oil to be released so that the people should not suffer the expenses,” Mr Majaliwa said.
Tanzania says it will continue holding talks with businessmen whose consignments are held up at the port to ease the process.
Demand
The current annual demand for cooking oil in Tanzania is estimated at between 400,000 and 570,000 tonnes while domestic production is only 210,000 tonnes.
This leaves a deficit of almost 360,000 tonnes which is covered by imports, including crude for refining into finished product.
Tanzania spends around Tsh190 billion (about Ksh8.4 billion) to import assorted cooking oil brands from some Asian and neighbouring countries.
