By Foday Moriba Conteh
In a ceremony held on Friday, March 1st, 2024, at the NP-Sierra Leone Terminal at Shell in the East End of Freetown, the Commissioner General of the National Revenue Authority (NRA), Jeneba J. Bangura, officially launched the Government of Sierra Leone’s Fuel Marking & Testing Program or Initiative in collaboration with the Ministry of Finance and the Petroleum Regulatory Agency (PRA).
The launch of the Fuel Marking & Testing Program, which Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) must comply with, was borne out of the collaborative effort among the Ministry of Finance, the National Revenue Authority (NRA) and the Petroleum Regulatory Agency (PRA) and is an initiative that is aimed at enhancing a robust molecular marking solution for hydrocarbons, providing traceability and fraud detection functionalities throughout the supply chain for petroleum products in the country.
Prior to the launch at the NP-Sierra Leone terminal, a high-level delegation led by the Commissioner General, Jeneba J. Bangura, along with her Deputy, Alfred Kobba, Deputy Executive Chairman of the Petroleum Regulatory Agency (PRA), Civil Society representatives and members of the Press went on a conducted tour of the SICPA (SL) Limited warehouse facilities at the Wellington Industrial Estate in the East End of Freetown to assess the preparedness of the company to implement the Fuel Marking initiative.
During the tour, the Operations and Customer Service Manager for SICPA (SL) Limited, Patrick Williams, intimated attendees with first-hand information about the task stamp machine, drum storage area, the lab and the mobile labs.
The NRA Commissioner General, Jeneba J. Bangura, before the launch, informed representatives of the Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) and the general public that the Government of Sierra Leone (GoSL) has introduced its flagship fuel marking program for all licensed petroleum products across the country, emphasizing that it is not an additional tax on petroleum products and will not change the pump price of fuel in the country.
She also highlighted that the fuel marking program offers a robust molecular marking solution for hydrocarbons, providing traceability and fraud detection functionalities throughout the supply chain for petroleum products in the country.
According to her the Fuel Integrity System (FIS) would serve as an effective tool against illicit activities such as smuggling, under-declaration, diversion, dumping, adulteration and dilution within the fuel market, ensuring the integrity of the petroleum product supply chain across Sierra Leone.
She explained that the program would categorize customers into three groups: retailers, commercial and concessions, each receiving fuel with different ink colors that are not visible to the naked eye, ensuring traceability. Additionally, she emphasized that the Fuel Marking program would detect any attempts to divert products to unauthorized customers.
The NRA Commissioner General also mentioned that the launch of the fuel marking program follows the introduction, on February 1st, 2024, of the Government’s Product Tracing System (PTS), a secured marking and traceability system for excisable products such as tobacco, wine, spirits and other alcoholic beverages. She underscored that all Petroleum products found unmarked after a period of three months after March 1, 2024 will be considered illegal, leading to NRA taking necessary actions as mandated by law. “The markings will not affect fuel quality, color, pump price or incur tax liabilities”, emphasized the Commissioner-General.
Earlier, Maxwell Massaquoi, the General Manager at SCIPA (SL) Limited, said Fuel Marking is a technological solution that will mark all petroleum products leaving depots across Sierra Leone before they reach the market, adding that these fuel products range from petrol, diesel etc.
He said they are going to be marking fuel from the 4 Oil Marketing Companies in the country including NP-Sierra Leone, Conex Energy SL Ltd, Aminata and Sons Inc and Leone Oil.
Speaking on behalf of the Oil Marketing Companies, the Finance and Accounts Manager at NP-Sierra Leone, Consvonne Macrae, lauded the collaborative effort between the Ministry of Finance, the National Revenue Authority (NRA), and the Petroleum Regulatory Agency (PRA) on the launch of the fuel marking system in the country.
He said that when one hears about fuel marking one is not too certain about what is expected but said when once one interacts and read further discovering the advantages that the country stands to benefit one will welcome it.
“On behalf of members of the Board and Management of NP-Sierra Leone we will support this project to the best of our ability. We are available 24/7 for any stakeholder to get in touch with us,” he assured.
Alfred Kobba, Deputy Executive Chairman of the Petroleum Regulatory Agency (PRA), expressed appreciation to the Oil Marketing Companies for their support and assured of continued support from the PRA for the program’s implementation in the country emphasizing its role in preventing product diversion and ensuring fair distribution among customers.
