MBABANE:King Mswati wants Taiwan to take over a Strategic Oil Reserve project at R5.2billion much against some Members of Parliament(MPs) who are opposed to this directive.
An independent investigation conducted by this Swaziland News uncovered that,the Eswatini National Petroleum Company(ENPC) Board of Directors was fired by Mswati through Natural Resources Minister Prince Lonkhokhela and this, was after the Board tried to engage another company and sidelined Taiwan, the Board was led by the then Chairman Muzi ‘MA’ Dlamini.
But last month during a workshop for Members of Parliament(MPs) held in Pigg’s Peak, Nhlanhla Dlamini, the Chief Executive Officer(CEO) of the Eswatini National Petroleum Company told the MPs that, Taiwan was seeking to take over the project despite the fact that, as Board and Management, they have identified a company that agreed to construct the Oil Reserves with R2.2billion.
“Government is engaging Taiwan on the same project and as the situation stands, we have two(2) prices R2.2billion and R5.2billion”, said the Chief Executive Officer.
But Nkomiyahlaba MP Mduduzi Dlamini urged MPs to vigorously prevent Taiwan from taking over the project to protect public funds.
“As MPs,we must do what is best for emaSwati not a few individuals”, he said.
Other MPs expressed concern that, a company from Taiwan will walk away with R5.2billion public funds when there’s another company that was engaged for the same project at R2.2billion.
But the MPs who are opposed to Taiwan might find themselves clashing with a command issued by Mswati, the King ordered Natural Resources Minister Prince Lonkhokhela to ensure that a contract “is urgently signed with a Taiwan company” for the Strategic Oil Reserves project.
This was during the recent Eswatini International Trade Fair(EIFT) after the Natural Resources Minister informed the King that, a contract will soon be signed with Taiwan for the said project, the King was touring Trade Fair Stands when he made the order directing Government to speed-up the signing of the contract with Taiwan.
But King’s Spokesperson Percy Simelane when responding to this Swaziland News on the subject matter clarified that, there’s nothing wrong with Taiwan taking over the project.
“We are aware of the project in question.We want to believe the King was sufficiently informed about its logistics,including the tender awarding process which is normally done away from the Head of State.It could have been a company from another country,but this time,it's a Taiwanese contractor.We have no reasons to suspect there could be problems with that”, said the King Spokesperson.
King Mswati.