By Sylvia
Rwenzori region is leading in the adulteration of the fuel countrywide, Uganda National Bureau of statistics(UNBS) together with the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development (MEMD)have disclosed.
While speaking on the Fuel Marking and Quality Monitoring Program in Fort Portal, Peter Kitimbo the principal analyst and Field supervisor UNBS, said that on average, 15 petrol stations are closed in the Rwenzori region over fuel adulteration.
Kitimbo has explained that this has led to poor quality of fuel and destroys the engine of the vehicle.
Kitimbo, has further stated that when they find a petrol station adulterating fuel, they close it and ask it to pay a certain amount of money equivalent to the amount of adulteration.
One Boniface Kapere, the inspector of weights and measures at the UNBS ,has asked motorists to always be vigilant at petrol stations. They have been advised also to:
- Avoid being cheated at petrol stations, where workers take advantage of customers who do not take keen interest to monitor them when fueling their vehicles.
- Ensure that fuel is bought from fuel pumps with UNBS stickers. This is confirmation that the fuel pumps were verified and calibrated by UNBS, hence accurate measurements.
- Two sides of the same fuel pump can indicate the different quantity of fuel delivered due to wearing away of the Mechanical indicators’ gears. Pump attendants often take advantage of this when serving unsuspecting/ignorant motorists.
- Also take keen interest in observing fuel prices noting that often ,petrol stations make mistakes.
Motorists, have however expressed concern over different fuel prices ,thus asking the Ministry of energy and mineral development through Parliament to regulate fuel prices.
The Fuel Marking and Quality Monitoring Program implemented by the government ,is designed to control and monitor the quality of petroleum products in the entire supply chain in Uganda. This has been recently ongoing in North-Western and Western Uganda districts of Masindi, Hoima, Kyenjojo, Fort Portal and Kasese concerning fuel adulterations.
The UNBS Principal Analyst and field supervisor of the Fuel Marking Program, Mr. Peter Kitimbo in the same sensitization meeting, revealed also that the program has enormously reduced fuel adulteration in the country to less than 1%. Meanwhile, two petrol stations have so far been closed in Fort Portal over fuel adulteration
