Energy Regulation Board claims illegal petroleum products drop to four percent

The Energy Regulation Board (ERB) says illicit petroleum products on Zambia’s retail market have reportedly dropped sharply, with compliance under the Fuel Marking Programme rising to 96 percent.

ERB acting Director for Petroleum and Gas, Chasuzya Mtwale, said the improvement represented significant progress since the fuel monitoring programme was introduced in 2018.

Speaking during a media engagement on Thursday, Mtwale said baseline findings at the start of the programme showed compliance at just 79 percent, meaning almost one in five petroleum products sold at retail outlets was from illicit sources.

He said targeted regulatory interventions, continuous monitoring and the fuel marking system had since reduced the proportion of non-compliant products on the market to four percent.

“Through targeted regulatory measures and continuous monitoring alongside the marking programme, non-compliant or illegal products on the retail market have now been reduced to just four percent,” Mtwale said.

Fuel marking involves adding a unique, invisible biochemical marker to petroleum products officially distributed for use or sale in Zambia, enabling regulators to distinguish legitimate products from illicit supplies.

Mtwale said the programme had not only helped curb illicit fuel but had also contributed to maintaining standards for petroleum products sold to consumers.

He said ERB would continue strengthening market surveillance to protect consumers and ensure legitimate fuel distributors operated on a level playing field.

Meanwhile, ERB Public Relations Manager, Namukolo Kasumpa, warned petroleum retail licence holders against breaching national fuel quality standards, saying violators would face enforcement action.

Kasumpa said although compliance had reached 96 percent, ERB expected 100 percent adherence to the established standards.

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