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Zuma's recognition of biofuels good thing

Cape Town - President Jacob Zuma’s recognition of South Africa’s emerging biofuels sector in the 2014 State of the Nation address underscores the relevance of this new industry to the country’s economic growth plans.

President Zuma announced that: “Biofuels manufacturers have been selected and have started work.”

“This is a major recognition of the biofuels industry’s large scale agricultural job creation and rural development prospects. Mabele Fuels has indeed been hard at work to ensure that our construction, harvesting and production schedule is on track in order to meet the timeframe for mandatory blending of biofuels with petroleum to commence on 1 October 2015,” said the company's Joint CEO Zahir Williams.

Mabele Fuels has lauded Zuma’s commitment to implement the first phase of the National Development Plan between 2014 and 2019.

Williams agrees with Zuma’s sentiments on the need to develop emerging black industrialists and about agriculture as a key driver of jobs and entrepreneurship. He also agrees that social partners should work together in the interest of the economy.

“As a new investor in the economy, we welcome this clarity and certainty on the macro planning and policy trajectory of the country. Being a majority black owned company in the biofuels industry, we are collaborating with government, farmers, funders and investors, to develop the biofuels industry," said Williams.

The finalisation of the biofuels regulatory framework is, therefore, eagerly awaited by Mabele Fuels, to ensure the timely commencement of the company’s refinery engineering works, construction and grain sorghum harvesting program.

Mabele Fuels' business is the manufacture of fuel-grade ethanol from grain sorghum for sale in the South African biofuels market.

The company is at an advanced state of readiness to commence construction of a large-scale bio ethanol refinery in the Bothaville area of the Free State.

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