By BRIAN HATYOKA –
•Zambia Weights and Measures Agency senior metrologist Gift Sidono closing a petrol nozzle found with a fault at Total Filling Station in Livingstone yesterday. Picture by BRIAN HATYOKA
A COMBINED team of inspectors from consumer protection bodies in Zambia has started verifying the accuracy of volumes of fuel dispensed at filling stations in Livingstone following complaints of suspected under-reading.
Inspectors from the Energy Regulation Board (ERB), Zambia Weights and Measures Agency (ZWMA) and the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) will inspect all the seven filling stations in Livingstone.
ZWMA public relations officer Diana Ngula said the exercise was important not only to consumers but also to Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs).
Ms Ngula was speaking at Total Filling Station in Livingstone yesterday where the team of inspectors started their inspections from.
“We have started joint inspections in Livingstone and we commenced with Total Filling Station which has 10 nozzles out of which four are diesel and six are petrol.
“We were using a 20 litre standard check measure which ZWMA uses to verify liquids such as cooking oils which are sold for sale,” Ms Ngula said.
At Total Filling Station, the team found that one petrol nozzle was under-dispensing and closed it.
“What is permissible under the ZWMA Act is that if you find that the product is being given in excess, the extra should be 20 millimetres for every 20 litres dispensed and if it is below, it should be 10 millilitres for every 20 litres dispensed.
“But for this particular one we found that it was under-dispensing by 25 millilitres. We closed it to take care of consumers because it meant that for every 20 litres consumers were buying, they were losing 25 millilitres at that pump,” Ms Ngula said.
She said the OMCs making losses as a result of over-dispensing would be closed.
ERB senior regional manager for Southern Province Stephen Mwiinga said the organisation was committed to maintaining quality in the services being offered by fuel service stations in the country.
