Tanzania: Fuel Adulteration Cases Decline, Says EWURA

By Nelly Mtema

Dodoma — HARSH measures taken by the Energy and Water Regulatory Authority (EWURA) have seen a large drop of fuel adulteration cases from 78 per cent in 2007 to four per cent at present.

EWURA Acting Director General, Mr Nzinyangwa Mchany revealed this over the weekend during

his meeting with the media on the number of projects taken by the authority to regulate the water and energy industry.

He attributed the decrease to a number of measures, including the bulk procurement system and the fuel mark initiates by the regulatory body.

"The cases of fuel adulteration were a big issue and the government was losing a lot of revenue apart from the damage to vehicles. At present it is almost they do not exist," he said.

He said in 2010 EWURA started a programme of having fuel mark which controlled fuel adulteration but also increased revenue collection through fuel dumping system and having a level competitive business ground for all.

According to a research by the University of Dar es Salaam on the Fuel Marking Programme by Ewura from 2010/13, a finding was the increased government revenue collection of 468.50bn/-.

Debating of the fuel adulteration, EWURA's Communication and Public Relations Manager, Mr Titus Kaguo, said the modification and relegation of the quality of petrol or diesel damages engine parts as well as effecting the environment and human health.

"The remaining four per cent does not cater for the adulteration of petrol and diesel fuel with kerosene, but rather tempering with transit fuel to shy away from paying taxes especially at borders," he said.

"You can see the level of the tailpipe emissions of harmful pollutants from vehicles is not the case at present compared to the situation before the fuel marking programme."

He said the move has saved money of vehicle owners for repair and maintenance apart from the government getting its real share of tax revenue from the business.

Mr Kaguo said Ewura in collaboration with the Ministry of Energy has come up with the fuel Bulk Procurement System and according to the UDSM survey of April 2014, it was clear that 121.6bn/- was recovered in 2012/13 financial year due to the system.

During the said period there premium charges and transport cost went down by 81.9bn/- while the demurrage cost also was less by 25.7bn/-.

Also the change of fuel importation system from Cost, Insurance and Freight to Delivery at Port the ocean losses were cut down by 14bn/-.

The Bulk Procurement system apart from checking also on adulteration issues it has given EWURA a room to have clear statistics of the volume of fuel imported thus an open system of coming up with monthly indicative process.