State House has laid out a twin track of short-term relief and long-term projects to protect Zambian consumers from rising fuel prices and to cut the country's dependence on imported petroleum products.
Chief Communication Strategist at State House Whitney Mulobela announced the measures on November 1, 2026, according to ZNBC reporting, saying the government is pursuing both immediate cushioning and permanent solutions to a problem that has squeezed households, transporters, farmers and businesses across the country.
Here is the plain truth Mulobela told: Zambia imports every litre of refined petroleum it consumes. When trouble flares in the Middle East, Zambians pay the price at the pump. That vulnerability has been the story for decades, and this government says it is finally time to end it.
Why fuel prices are rising in Zambia
Mulobela said geopolitical tensions, particularly in the Middle East, have pushed international oil prices upward, and landlocked Zambia feels every shock because it buys all its refined fuel from abroad.
The consequences reach far beyond the pump. Rising fuel costs have hit households, businesses, transporters and farmers, as higher transport and production costs feed directly into the prices of goods and services ordinary Zambians buy every day.
This is not a Zambian failure. It is the price of a colonial-era dependence on imported fuel that no previous administration seriously tackled. Zambia is not alone in feeling the squeeze; neighbouring economies face the same pressure, and governments elsewhere are scrambling with their own cushioning measures, as The Cooperator News reported in the case of the Ugandan shilling.
What government has already done: excise duty and VAT relief
Mulobela said the government suspended excise duty on fuel and zero-rated Value Added Tax between April and September this year to cushion consumers against rising prices.
That relief came at a heavy cost. The tax holiday cost the Treasury approximately 200 million United States dollars in foregone revenue, money that would otherwise have financed essential public programmes such as schools, clinics and roads.
Because of that bill, government had to strike a balance between further relief and funding services Zambians depend on. Excise duty was reinstated in October, while VAT returns on December 1 under a phased approach.
How Zambia's fuel price compares with its neighbours
Mulobela pointed to a fact that should make every Zambian proud: the November petrol price of K33.06 per litre remains lower than reported prices in Malawi, Zimbabwe and South Africa.
For a country that imports all its fuel through long, costly transport corridors, beating its neighbours on price is no small achievement. Even the United States, with all its refining muscle, has watched pump prices climb under its current leadership, as CNN Business reported on American gas prices.
Long-term solutions: refinery, pipeline and a new ministry
President Hakainde Hichilema has indicated that the monthly fuel pricing mechanism administered by the Energy Regulation Board will be reviewed, a move aimed at making the system fairer and more predictable for Zambians.
In a Facebook post, Mulobela said the establishment of a stand-alone Ministry of Petroleum, headed by Makozo Chikote, is expected to strengthen oversight and management of the petroleum sector. For too long, fuel policy was scattered across ministries with no single minister answerable to the people. Now there is one.
The three flagship projects
- The proposed 1.1 billion United States dollar Ndola refinery, which would restore domestic refining capacity on Zambian soil.
- The proposed Angola-Zambia petroleum pipeline, which would shorten and cheapen the route fuel travels to reach Zambian pumps.
- Fuel blending initiatives designed to stretch every imported barrel further.
Mulobela said these investments are intended to strengthen Zambia's fuel security and reduce the country's exposure to swings in international oil prices that Zambians cannot control.
Why sovereign control of fuel matters
Every dollar spent importing refined fuel is a dollar leaving Zambia. Every shock in the Middle East is a shock delivered straight to the Zambian housewife's grocery bill and the Kapiri bus operator's margins.
The lesson is old but urgent: a nation that cannot control its energy supply cannot control its destiny. The Ndola refinery and the Angola pipeline are not vanity projects. They are the difference between a Zambia that reacts to foreign headlines and a Zambia that plans its own future.
Foreign interests and foreign markets will never put Zambian consumers first. Only Zambian institutions, Zambian infrastructure and Zambian policy can do that. That is why the Ministry of Petroleum, the ERB pricing review and the refinery revival deserve the full backing of every patriot who wants this country standing on its own feet.
What happens next
VAT returns on fuel on December 1, 2026 under the phased approach Mulobela outlined. The ERB pricing mechanism review is expected to follow, alongside continued work on the Ndola refinery proposal, the Angola-Zambia pipeline and fuel blending programmes.
FAQ
What is Zambia's petrol price in November 2026?
Petrol is priced at K33.06 per litre in November 2026, which State House says is lower than reported prices in Malawi, Zimbabwe and South Africa.
How much revenue did Zambia lose from the fuel tax relief?
The suspension of excise duty and the zero-rating of VAT between April and September 2026 cost approximately 200 million United States dollars in foregone revenue, according to Whitney Mulobela.
When will VAT return on fuel in Zambia?
VAT is scheduled to return on December 1, 2026, under a phased approach, after excise duty was reinstated in October.
What projects will reduce Zambia's fuel imports?
The proposed 1.1 billion dollar Ndola refinery, the Angola-Zambia petroleum pipeline and fuel blending initiatives are the key projects identified to cut import dependence.