Govt blacklists 45 filling stations over fake fuel
Inspection. Uganda National Bureau of Standards inspectors led by Mr Lawrence Kitimbo (right) talks to workers at a fuel station during an inspection exercise in Kampala last year. FILE PHOTO.
What you need to know:
Failed. The Energy ministry says the affected fuel stations failed the quarterly fuel marking exercise that differentiates adulterated fuel from the unadulterated one.
The Energy ministry and Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) yesterday listed 45 fuel station said to have been selling adulterated fuel for the last three months.
A circular from the Rev Frank Tukwasibwe, the commissioner of Petroleum Supply Department in the Energy ministry, said the 45 fuel stations had failed the quarterly fuel marking exercise that differentiates adulterated fuel from the unadulterated one.
“For the licensed stations, the concerned companies were/are to be issued with a default notice as per the Petroleum Supply (General) Regulations. The stations will be unsealed upon furnishing the commissioner with satisfactory remedial actions taken and a written undertaking of not committing such a default in the remaining period of their petroleum licence,” the letter read in part.
To remain sealed
The Rev Tukwasibwe said the affected filling stations will remain sealed off until they sort out the required remedial actions.
Some of the fuel stations blacklisted included Bolts Kireka Kamuli (Kampala), M-Oil Kinawa (Wakiso), Bong Oils Mafubira (Jinja), Kana Oils Masajja (Kampala), Explora Energy Katosi (Mukono), and Geoil Kanyanya (Kampala).
The affected districts
The circular said most of the filling stations faulted are located in Kampala, Gulu, Kabale, Wakiso, Mukobo, Luwero, Jinja, and Kayunga, with Wakiso topping blacklisted filling stations.
The fuel marking exercise was introduced in Uganda in 1999 by the Energy ministry in collaboration with fuel marketing companies.
The circular also indicated the adulteration of fuel in the country had dropped from 29.1 per cent in November 2009 to 0.5 per cent in August 2018 as a result of continued fuel marking and quality control programme.
The letter also indicated that the number of filling stations selling adulterated fuel had dropped by 69 from 114 during the first quarter of the year.
Officials in the Energy ministry and UNBS have continually blamed inadequate manpower in covering the country to undertake fuel marking.
They say the exercise is also affected by the proliferation of new districts in the country, which are not monitored.
The Petroleum Supply Act, 2003, requires any person interested in the trade of (importation, exportation, transportation, storage, wholesale and retail of) petroleum products in Uganda to first obtain a licence from the Commissioner for Petroleum Supply Department in the Energy ministry. The same law applies to anyone interested in constructing a filling station.
