22 Feb 2013

Puma Energy Africa chief operations officer says the P27 million fuel storage facility built at Maun Airport is a bold statement to their long term commitment to making a difference where they operate.

Speaking at the Maun Airport aviation fuel distribution facility launch, Mr Christophe Zyde said tourism was one of the major contributors to Botswana’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), as such the importance of having the best of the aviation facilities at such a strategic point could not be overemphasised.

“Exposure to the best our industry can provide in aviation is a strong investment in human resource development,” he said, adding that as they invested in Botswana, they were cultivating their resources back to where they operated.

He said they were a business, which relied on many supplies from local companies, including Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), hence contributing directly to downstream industry beneficiation.

Mr Zyde further said Puma Energy had a presence in 30 countries and as such, their security of supply storage network was intact. “Botswana’s landlocked status does not limit its efficiencies and I am reliably informed that in the event that the country’s fuel supplies have been affected by uncertainties such as strikes in our neighboring countries, Puma Energy outlets never ran dry,” he said.

For his part, the chief executive officer of Civil Aviation Authority of Botswana (CAAB) Major General Jefferson Thokwane said that aviation fuel storage facility was a strategic endeavour in terms of meeting the highly increasing demands of aviation fuels in Botswana, especially in the growing tourist area of Maun.

“The facility will increase the fuel capacity storage of Maun and hopefully give local and international air operators confidence that fuel shortages are being dealt with,” he said.

Maj. Gen. Thokwane further said the facility would also give the country flexibility during emergencies and they were aiming to uphold their mandate of allowing and welcoming any development, which are geared towards realization of CAAB’s vision and mission. ENDS.