Fuel dealers face new licence regime

fuelTHE Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority (Zera) is working on a new licensing framework for fuel retailers in a bid to curb malpractices in the sector, an official said yesterday.In an interview on the sidelines of a sensitisation workshop, Zera petroleum infrastructure manager Engineer Guri said the new framework was aimed at curbing malpractices such as over blending, mixing diesel with paraffin and selling unleaded petrol.

Guri said although they were yet to come up with penalties for those found wanting, the authority would stipulate various classes of offences and categorise them.

He said the new licensing framework would also reinforce a code of practice set out for fuel retailers named the Zimbabwean Standard 960 of 2013.

The code sets out minimum infrastructural guidelines and requirements for fuel retailers such as measures put in place to ensure product quality, to protect the environment and safety for workers and customers.

“We’re actually working to modify or improve the petroleum licensing regulations to make sure that what the standard is saying if you don’t follow the requirements and guidelines set out in the standard there are penalties,” he said.

Guri said the code of practice was mainly targeted at new players in the industry.

“We’re saying to the newer players coming in with minimum knowledge, with minimum experience or even no experience at all, we’ve set up this basic code of practice that they can follow so that there is a semblance of order and some protection of the environment, ensuring quality for customers and safety as well for employees and members of the public.”

He said about 70 percent of service stations in the country were in compliance with infrastructural requirements that Zera set while the use of standards would assist retailers comply with the Petroleum Act.

“Before the standards were set there were no standards for everyone. You find that the big companies, the big five, your Total, BP, Shell, Caltex and Mobil, those companies had their own standards that they followed driven by their parent companies in the developed world.

“When we liberalised the market and newer players emerged they didn’t have any knowledge or any experience of the petroleum sector so this is the gap that we now hope to close by disseminating this standard of the minimum requirements they’ve to meet,” he said.

Guri said last year Zera confiscated more than 10,000 litres of fuel from companies that were in possession of contaminated fuel while in other cases offending companies were brought before the courts for prosecution. — New Ziana.

 

You Might Also Like

Comments