Reverend Frank Tukwasibwe, the Commissioner for Petroleum Supply in the Ministry of Energy, speaking at the Greater Masaka regional stakeholders’ engagement on fuel quality and monitoring program.The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development has advised local governments to stop procuring fuel from unlicensed dealers, warning that the practice undermines efforts to enforce fuel quality standards and protect public safety.The directive was issued by Reverend Frank Tukwasibwe, Commissioner for Petroleum Supply at the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development, during the Greater Masaka regional stakeholders’ engagement on the Fuel Quality Monitoring Programme.Tukwasibwe said some public entities, particularly local governments, continue to award fuel supply contracts to unlicensed dealers, frustrating the ministry’s crackdown on the illegal fuel trade. He noted that the practice contributes to the continued circulation of adulterated and substandard petroleum products.He said that enforcement teams have encountered cases where local governments protested after illegal fuel stations were closed because they had been relying on them for fuel supplies.“We have registered incidents where our quality control and compliance enforcement teams have closed unlicensed fuel outlets, only for local governments to appeal, claiming they have also lost their source of fuel,” Tukwasibwe said.He urged procurement officers in local governments to conduct due diligence before awarding contracts, ensuring that all fuel suppliers are duly licensed and compliant with government standards.The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development, working jointly with the Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS), regularly deploys fuel quality monitoring teams to inspect the country’s fuel supply chain. The inspections are intended to ensure that petroleum products meet the required quality and quantity standards for consumer safety, fair trade and revenue compliance.However, Tukwasibwe noted that despite mandatory licensing requirements, some operators continue to run illegal fuel stations, creating opportunities for fuel adulteration, pump tampering and other fraudulent practices that endanger consumers and nearby communities.Meanwhile, Peter Kitimbo, the Fuel Quality Field Supervisor at UNBS, expressed concern over a growing trend in which owners of non-compliant fuel stations quickly transfer ownership once regulators identify them for enforcement action. He appealed to local council leaders to work closely with regulatory agencies by identifying and reporting unlicensed fuel outlets operating within their jurisdictions.However, Barnabas Nambwere, the Deputy Chief Administrative Officer for Bukomansimbi District, urged regulators to consider the unique challenges faced by local governments in rural areas, where major fuel distribution companies have limited presence.He argued that while compliance is necessary, the licensing and standardisation processes should be made more accessible to encourage more operators to become licensed, rather than limiting communities to a small number of fuel suppliers with minimal rural coverage.Nambwere appealed to the Ministry of Energy and UNBS to streamline the licensing process to improve access to compliant fuel outlets across underserved areas.-URNThe post Local Govts Cautioned Against Contracting Unlicensed Fuel Retailers appeared first on Business Focus.