TPDC suspends Tanoil management

 

Energy Minister, Mr January Makamba. PHOTO | FILE

By Bakari Kiango

Summary

·         The Minister for Energy, January Makamba, says the suspended management lied that Tanoil’s operations were going well, which, was contrary to the situation

Dar es Salaam. The top management team of Tanoil has been suspended to pave the way for investigations into the operations of the company.

A subsidiary of Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation (TPDC), Tanoil—which currently runs about ten filling stations in various parts of the country—undertakes oil trading business in the midstream and downstream projects.

A report by the Energy and Water Regulatory Authority (Ewura) put the company in position 16 in the market, where over 24 players scramble for the share of Tanzania’s petroleum retail trade.

A statement said yesterday that the Tanoil management team has been suspended by the TPDC board of directors.

Following the suspension, an interim management team will now run Tanoil.

According to the statement issued by the Ministry of Energy, those suspended include the general manager, Mr Kapuulya Musomba, and finance and administration manager James Batamuzi.

Others are petroleum storage manager Sudi Abdallah and distribution and operations manager Amour Marine.

Mr Musomba, who once occupied the position of acting managing director for TPDC, said yesterday he had no comment over the matter.

“I have no comment. If that is what the statement says, what do you want me to say?” he told The Citizen yesterday.

The suspension of the Tanoil management team comes after the TPDC board conducted an internal audit into the operations of the company a few months ago.

The findings of the audit, the statement said, will be forwarded to the Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau (PCCB) for further investigations.

“Apart from this step, the TPDC board has also started implementing the recommendations of the auditor’s report on improving controls and preparing a new business plan for Tanoil,” the statement reads.

Commenting on the matter, the Minister for Energy, Mr January Makamba, told The Citizen yesterday that the suspended management is also accused of lying to the government that Tanoil’s operations were going well, which, he said, was contrary to the real situation.