The state-owned Nile petroleum corporation will soon launch a crackdown on illegal fuel depots in Juba, the company’s Director of Public Relations has said.
This comes amidst fuel shortage in the country.
Yiey Puoch said it has been noticed that private businesses with depots are hoarding fuel and selling it in the black market.
“There are some private depots that we don’t know that if actually they import their fuel from outside of the country or they get it inside here,” he said.
“So we want to know exactly if they are seeing to it that they got their fuel from outside,” Mr. Puoch added.
He told Eye Radio that an inspection team which would include security forces will be moving around the city to identify all private depots.
Mr. Puoch said those who do not have legal documents will have their fuel confiscated and sold to the public at the official rate.
The documents should have a proof that the depots have imported fuel “failure to do so will lead to selling of the fuel at 22ssp per liter by the inspecting team”, he stressed.
Members of the public have been complaining about the scarcity of fuel, which they say, hinders daily activities. In Juba, only few gas stations have fuel.
In July, President Salva Kiir issued an order forming a committee tasked with organizing the proper distribution of fuel to filling stations.
A month later, the Police Service said several people were arrested for possession of 170 Jerry cans of and selling them to the black market.
The moves were aimed at reducing the presence of fuel in the black market
Mr. Puoch said the new crackdown exercise is in a bid to do the same.