REVEALED: SOME MOTORISTS PAYING MORE FOR LESS FUEL

LOBAMBA – An inspection of filling stations has revealed that some motorists receive less fuel than they pay for.This was due to the fuel pumps not dispensing fuel equivalent to the quantity the motorists had paid for. The pumps were found to have failed the measurement test.This is contained in the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Trade quarterly performance report, that was debated yesterday by the Senate Portfolio Committee.These fuel pumps, according to the Minister of Commerce, Industry and Trade, Manqoba Khumalo, were discovered during inspections that were carried out by the Weights and Measures Department under the ministry.

Responsible

The department is the National Measurement Office and is responsible for the administration and control of metrology in trade - ensuring in this regard equitable and correct measurements in industry; and traded goods and services. This is conducted based on measurement or weight. It includes the inculcation of correct use of measurement units of the Systems International (SI) and other units, so that they meet required measurement standards and specifications. The minister told the senators that 81 filling stations’ pumps were verified and eight of them were found to be non-compliant with the metrology requirements.

Those that did not comply were closed and an order for their recalibration before further use was issued.This means that the pumps were not dispensing fuel that was equivalent to the quantity that the motorists had paid for. In most cases, the motorists received less fuel than what they had paid for. It is for that reason that some motorists felt that they received less fuel than they usually did.The senators mentioned that there had been an outcry that some filling stations were somehow allegedly swindling consumers by tampering with the fuel pumps.

Questioned

They questioned how often the ministry conducted the inspections, because it was likely that more motorists were receiving less than they had paid for. Additionally, they quizzed the minister about what he has done to ensure that the proprietors of the affected filling stations reimburse the consumers who were affected by this.Senator Chief Ngome Ndlangamandla questioned the minister on how he would ensure that the fuel retailers repaid emaSwati or if penalties were effected on the retailers.“I was shocked to learn that you uncovered that fuel retailers bekabulala sive. The question is, if there is any punishment and how are the retailers going to compensate the customers? They have to pay for swindling the nation,” he said.
In response, Minister Khumalo said the law requires that the ministry gives the business 14 days to sort out the issue. He said what they uncovered was that the retailers did not tamper with the fuel pumps deliberately to swindle their customers.

Machine

“It is because they also did not have the machine to test their pumps, to ensure that they meet the required measurement or to easily detect if their pumps have shifted,” he said.
Khumalo added that all the retailers whose pumps failed the measurement test complied and fixed them within 14 days. The minister said they have also explored other proactive ways that the public could apply to see whether fuel pumps had been tested and passed the measurement test. He said: “We have introduced stickers in all fuel pumps that emaSwati need to identify in all filling stations.” Khumalo said a red sticker signifies that the fuel pump should not be used and a green sticker means the pump has been tested and has passed the measurements test.

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