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Noczim cancels fuel subsidy for doctors
Kumbirai Mafunda, The Financial Gazette (Zimbabwe)
June 22, 2006

http://www.fingaz.co.zw/story.aspx?stid=1368

STATE-RUN National Oil Company of Zimbabwe (Noczim) has discontinued subsidised fuel sales to some health institutions and practitioners, a move likely to further cripple the already collapsing health delivery system.

Noczim notified the health practitioners late last month about the cancellation of the facility.

Doctors and nurses said they were last served fuel at their designated service stations on May 21. Since then fuel attendants were turning them away.

"They told us that fuel allocations will be stopped on the 1st of June without giving reasons," said one doctor.

At Montagu service station where the bulk of the health practitioners were refuelling, a litre of diesel was retailing for $22 000 while petrol cost $24 000. But the majority of Zimbabweans are buying a litre of diesel and petrol for over $500 000 at service stations that mobilise their own resources to import the precious liquid.

Paul Chimedza, the secretary-general of the Zimbabwe Medical Association (ZIMA) confirmed that supplies were being limited.

"It (fuel) comes very erratically," said Chimedza. "Some doctors are failing to cover hospitals and are now boarding taxis, which are very expensive," he added.

Chimedza said his association was currently receiving 5 000 litres of fuel, which he said is inadequate to serve the more than 700 members affiliated to ZIMA.

"Only 200 of us are getting that fuel and some of our members are going for three to four months without accessing it," he said.

Noczim’s marketing and distribution director Krispen Mashange this week confirmed the termination of the subsidised fuel facility strangely ascribing it to improvements in the supply of the commodity.

"We have screened some of them," said Mashange. "When we came up with that facility the objective was to make fuel available to them (medical practitioners) but we have now just realised that fuel is now available on the market so they can go and buy," he added.

Zimbabwe is grappling with a seven-year-old fuel crisis, which has halted industrial operations while thousands of workers have resorted to walking to their workplaces.

A severe shortage of foreign currency caused by a poor export performance, decimated agricultural output and the drying up of balance of payments support, is making it difficult for the country to import fuel.

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