Energy Regulation Board (ERB) warns fuel smugglers – Mwebantu
ENERGY Regulation Board (ERB) has instituted investigations to ascertain possible breaches of license conditions and adherence to quality specifications by service stations.
ERB Acting Consumer and Public Affairs Officer, Fred Hang’andu says ERB is concerned with reports that fuel is being smuggled into the country.
Mr. Hang’andu explained that ERB will roll out the fuel marking Programme in the first quarter of next year.
This is contained in a statement availed to ZANIS by ERB Acting Consumer and Public Affairs Officer (CPAO) Fred Hang’andu.
He stated that fuel marking is an intervention that will help tackle challenges regarding fuel marketing and trade by focusing on minimizing fuel smuggling and tax evasion.
The Acting CPAO pointed out that the intervention will promote a level playing field in the petroleum downstream operations by eliminating unfair trading practices.
Mr. Hang’andu emphasized that smuggling of fuel into the country deprives government of the much needed revenue and also puts at risk the quality of fuel on the market.
December 8, 2017 at 7:57 am
An aimless board.
December 8, 2017 at 7:59 am
The only time u will see people commenting is here is when the admin post about Coach driven..
December 8, 2017 at 8:10 am
What the ERB should ask themselves why do people do this and the answer is very simple the product cost is very very higher compared with the surrounding countries they must look at the pricing structure and not just increase fuel price at will just because the people who make final decision can afford the product does not mean everyone can to reduce this you simply have to be competitive like in all trading
December 8, 2017 at 8:44 am
Fuel marking is long overdue. We conducted this programme in 2002 and the project was very successful. ZRA collected alot more revenue from fuel marketing companies and the Quality of Fuel in filling stations improved tremendously. For this programme to succeed, ERB has to be on top of things, they should improve on frequency of site visits and sampling unlike what used to happen that time where most of the sampling and site visits were done by the marking company. The SOP (standard operating procedures) must be adhered to by the marking company and ERB must watch out for possible errors. There’s also the aspect of marking Technology to be used. Alot more companies have come on board to provide fuel marking Technology but most of it is fake.
December 8, 2017 at 10:04 am
Khondiwa Diza Alex Ashley Ng’andu Jr. Here is your news gents
December 8, 2017 at 10:19 am
The reason is it is too expensive so smugglers want to take advantage of the situation. Reduce the price and smuggling will come to an end.
Fuel is cheap in the neighboring countries that’s why they do that.. reduce the prices of fuel and this problem will be over
Mwebantu is a Zambian daily online newspaper founded in 2012 by Chilambe Katuta, a Thomson Reuters Foundation Alumni. Thomson Reuters Foundation is the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, the global news and information provider. The Mwebantu website was designed by Kasonde Mulenga a Web and Systems Developer from the University of Greenwich in London, England.