The governor of Inhambane province, Franscisco Manuel Pagula, considered it “unacceptable” that, 15 years after the start of natural gas exploration, there are only about 3,000 piped gas connections, calling for urgent measures to accelerate access and reduce the cost of living for families, reported the newspaper O País.
According to the governor, the number of connections is clearly insufficient given the region’s energy potential. “It is really worrying. It makes no sense that, 15 years later, Inhambane still does not feel the benefits of piped gas in practice,” he said, acknowledging structural delays in the expansion of the domestic network. Nevertheless, he assured that the provincial government has been pressuring the National Hydrocarbons Company to speed up the process.
As a result of this institutional coordination, around 1,000 new connections are planned for this year in the three northern districts currently covered. “This year alone, we will do almost a third of what has been done in more than a decade,” he stressed. Despite the progress, the official admits that the pace remains below expectations, mainly because important urban centers, such as Massinga and Maxixe, remain outside the piped gas network.
While structural expansion has yet to materialize, the provincial executive is focusing on interim solutions to ease the pressure on the cost of living. Among the measures is the installation of cooking gas filling stations within the province.
The governor recalled that a production unit was recently inaugurated in Inhassoro and revealed that work is underway to set up a filling station in Inhambane. “This will allow gas to reach the population more cheaply,” he explained.
At the same time, the province is preparing to introduce Natural Gas for Vehicles in public transport, with the construction of the first stations outside the province of Maputo, as part of an investment valued at around five million dollars, supported by Sasol. The project includes the acquisition of 20 gas-powered buses for urban and inter-district routes. “Natural gas for vehicles is a clean, safe, and efficient alternative,” said the governor.
For the provincial government, the challenge remains clear: to transform local energy wealth into concrete benefits for citizens. “We are representatives of the population. What we say is what the population tells us. And the population wants piped gas, cheaper gas, and affordable transportation,” he concluded.
