ERB fines transporter

THE Energy Regulation Board (ERB) has fined a fuel transporter for adulteration, ERB Public Relations Manager Kwali Mfuni has confirmed.

Ms Mfuni told the Daily Nation that ERB recorded three cases related to fuel adulteration and by petroleum Transporters.

Ms Mfuni said one of the cases was on the basis of a public tip off in which fuel was adulterated, while the second one involved a tanker that was intercepted before offloading adulterated fuel into a storage depot.

She said the third case involved imported fuel that was almost illegally offloaded onto the Zambian market and was found to have been adulterated with Kerosene.

Ms Mfuni said the ERB has taken enforcement action against the erring licensees in all the three cases.

She said one case has been referred to Zambia police to help track down the tanker driver who abandoned the tanker carrying imported fuel. She also ecplained that the case involving the tanker that was intercepted following a public tip off was in court. Ms Mfuni said the ERB has been strict in sampling and testing procedures being applied at service stations fuel consumers, commercial sites and during transportation since the commencement of the fuel marking campaigns in February 2018.

"ERB has not any specific case of mixing Diesel and kerosene since last inspection on the second quarter of 2019 and this can mainly be attributed to enhanced monitoring of fuel quality through fuel marking aimed at distinguishing legitimate fuel and curb fuel adulteration," Ms Mfuni said.