By MILDRED KATONGO –
THE Energy Regulation Board (ERB) has apprehended 30 people suspected to have been engaging in illegal fuel deals in Lusaka.
The suspects were rounded up during raids carried out in collaboration with the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) and the Zambia Police Service in the industrial area.
ERB executive director Langiwe Lungu said in a statement that various items believed to have been used in fuel vending had also been seized.
“In collaboration with the DEC and the police, the ERB conducted raids on illegal fuel vending sites in Lusaka last month where 30 suspected illegal fuel vendors were apprehended and their various items used in trading seized,” Ms Lungu said.
She said ERB had enhanced collaboration with other Government security agencies to improve enforcement of the law and ensure compliance to stipulated standards, licence conditions and guidelines.
Ms Lungu said this was done after the board signed a memorandum of understanding with other Government agencies including the DEC, Road Transport and Safety Agency and the Zambia Environmental Management Agency.
She said for the board to effectively execute its mandate to monitor the quality of energy products and services, it had continued to develop new standards in collaboration with the Zambia Bureau of Standards.
The ERB has also finalised preparations to roll out fuel marking programmes which would allow for improved monitoring of fuel quality by use of a bio-chemical marker.
She said the programme would be implemented once the legislative provisions were in place.