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Injena Petroleum Company Limited, the country’s newest fuel firm, has said it will do its best to provide a service that benefits the consumers in proportion to its capacity and potential.
Injena Petroleum chief executive officer and founder Robert Mbale said the indigenous Malawians-owned firm also seeks to contribute to the growth of the economy through generation of new employment and increase in government revenue through payment of taxes.
He said in an e-mail response that the company expects to open its first filling station in December after identifying dealers. The company is currently inviting applications from dealers to operate its service stations that shall include shops in addition to liquid fuel and gas services.
Injena, Mbale said, will also establish paraffin pumps in some accessible rural trading centres to assist the rural masses buy paraffin for their domestic use.
Mbale said when registering Injena Petroleum, the shareholders were aware of the existing competition in this protected industry and decided that the company should compete itself or its potential.
“We will do the best on the market for the good of the end consumer in proportion to our capacity and potential lest we allocate our resources to compete with one who is planning to close down operations in five years time, this would mean closing with them,” he said.
Mbale, who has previously worked for BP Malawi, Total and Mobil Oil companies in different positions, said Injena has four indigenous shareholders with experience in corporate governance and marketing industry.
Responding to a question on whether a new fuel firm can survive in a small economy already boasting five established companies—BP Malawi, Petroda, Total, Mobil and Caltex, Mbale said Injena believes that strategic location of filling stations and international standard imaging would give the company an edge over rivals.
“We carried a survey across the country and we know where there is volume hence we will professionally guide our potential dealers on where to build filling stations,” he said, adding that initially the stations would be built in urban areas before moving to active rural trading centres.
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