Africa-Press – Uganda. She said their teams are moving around the country to sensitise the public and they need about three months before the actual demolition of new petrol stations can start
BILL OKETCH
The National Physical Planning Board (NPPB) has warned of countrywide demolition of new fuel stations in a move aimed at reducing the risk of fire outbreak in urban areas.
Ms Amanda Ngabirano, the NPPB chairperson, said all new fuel stations, which were constructed after the December 2020 directive, will be demolished.
She said even owners of those illegal fuel stations shall be prosecuted for defying NPPB directives. This is because they are posing serious risk in case of fire outbreak since they are located in residential areas.
“Petrol stations are supposed to be three kilometres apart, but now they are operating 100 metres and less from each other. These petrol stations are going to put many local governments in trouble because of being allocated land in ungazetted places,” Ms Ngabirano said in an interview with Daily Monitor on Wednesday.
She said their teams are moving around the country to sensitise the public and they need about three months before the actual demolition of new petrol stations can start.
Ms Ngabirano said late last year, NPPB met other stakeholders such as the Ministry of Energy and Ministry of Local Government, which directed all the chief administrative officers (CAOs), acting city clerks, and municipal town clerks to stop allocating land for the construction of new fuel stations.
“We halted the approval and construction of new fuel stations in December, but new fuel stations are still coming up even in residential areas,” she said. “Therefore, we are going to carry out operations to demolish all new petrol stations, which were constructed after the directive,” Ms Ngabirano said.
She said NPPB has engaged the police and district police commanders have opened up files for prosecuting people whose fuel stations will be demolished.
The NPPB chairperson also said the board is planning to recruit new physical planners. Four of these planners will be deployed to the new cities to ensure that developments are done according to plan.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Local Government has directed all CAOs, acting city town clerks and municipal town clerks to halt approval of construction of fuel stations.
The permanent secretary, Mr Ben Kumumanya, in an April 22 letter said the accounting officers were directed to ensure that their physical planning committees halt the approval of fuel stations until further notice.
Statistics
According to data from the Ministry of Energy, there were 1,030 licensed petroleum retail outlets in Uganda as of February 19, 2020. In addition, it is estimated that there are more than 2,000 other unlicensed fuel stations operating in the country.
