The Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) has established the Public Petroleum Products Act Compliance Forum in a bid to curb “rampant” illegal fuel trading.
The forum is made up of petroleum industry stakeholders, including wholesalers and retail associations, and law enforcement agencies such as the South African Police Service and the South African Revenue Service.
The DMRE said in a statement that the public policing forum would seek to enforce the provisions of the Petroleum Products Act (PPA) and crack down on the following:
- Conducting petroleum products manufacturing, wholesaling or retailing activities without an applicable licence by the Controller of Petroleum Products.
- Wholesalers operating as retailers (dual operations).
- Site development without a relevant site licence.
- Sale of inferior quality petrol and diesel, contrary to prescribed specifications and standards.
- Sale of ULP 93 at the price of ULP 95 to unsuspecting retailers and motorists (especially in outlying areas,) or sale of petroleum products contrary to the price determined by the Minister.
- Non-disclosure of fuel storage facilities.
- Huge diesel price discounts.
- Suspected mixing of diesel with paraffin (diesel adulteration).
- And broad–based black economic empowerment fronting.
The DMRE called on the public to be vigilant and report any petroleum operator suspected of noncompliance with the PPA to its regional inspectors.