Illegal Petroleum dealers on spot after nabbing of four suspects

ERC director general Pavel Oimeke during a past function. /FILE

The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) has put the illegal Petroleum dealers on spot after four suspected dealers were nabbed on Monday with three trucks ferrying illegal fuel.

ERC Director General Pavel Oimeke on Monday passed a warning to all cartels and operators involved in the illegal transportation of petroleum products.

“No cartel is bigger than the government,” the Energy Regulatory Commission told journalists on Monday.

Oimeke was speaking where he noted that 1,000 litres of petroleum products had been recovered, citing that it was not yet clear if the product was diesel.

“We found about 1,000 litres of petroleum products. It is not clear if it is diesel. We will find out after investigations,” Oimeke said.

He said the crackdown will continue until all illegal dealers are arrested. Oimeke further said better policies are formed to regulate the sector.

“We will suspend your license and put tracking systems in your trucks. We have revoked the licences of some trucks,” the ERC boss said.

Oimeke said the new regulations will take effect once Energy Cabinet Secretary Charles Keter.

He said the commission will have access to tracking data of trucks.

“We will be able to monitor the movement of petroleum products. If there is a diversion we will come and verify the destination of the truck,” Oimeke said.

He denied claims that ERC officers are working in cohorts with rogue vendors.

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“There is no collaboration between our staff and the operators. We only have legitimate businesses,” he said.

Oimeke said his team will continue collaborating with the multi-agency team on counterfeit products and DCI detectives to apprehend culprits.

He said truck drivers are the main culprits.

In September, a 16% VAT on fuel products was brought into effect by Treasury Cabinet Secretary Henry Rotich who had ignored Members of Parliament’s move to suspend it from taking effect untill 2020.

The bill was however fowarded to President Uhuru Kenyatta who refused to amend it into law but instead proposed a new VAT of 8% on petroleum products which was then passed by MPs in the parliament.

He signed the bill into law which saw change in prices of petroleum products with kerosine going more high.

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