By Phiwa Sikhondze
The Eswatini Energy Regulatory Authority (ESERA) has issued a total of 240 licences during the 2023/24 financial year.
This milestone outlined in the Authority’s Annual Compliance Report, reflects ESERA’s ongoing commitment to ensuring safety, environmental protection, and the sustainability of fuel supply within the Kingdom.
The licences issued span multiple categories, including Petroleum Wholesale, Petroleum Retail, Commercial Consumer, Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG) Wholesale, and LPG Retail.
These licences enable industry players to legally operate within the parameters set out by the Petroleum Act of 2020, aligning with ESERA’s mandate to regulate downstream petroleum activities such as the importation, distribution, sale, and consumption of key products like unleaded petrol, diesel, paraffin, and LPG.
Throughout the year ESERA conducted nationwide inspections to ensure licensees adhered to established safety and operational standards. The inspections prioritized consumer safety, environmental protection, fuel product quality, and the security of fuel supply. The compliance checks also aimed to ensure that all industry players were licensed and operating within legal confines.
Additionally, the Authority played a mediatory role by addressing disputes between licensees and consumers, fostering harmony in the petroleum supply value chain.
With six of the country’s 13 fuel wholesalers being locally owned, the Authority continues to monitor compliance with the 14-day commercial stock requirement under Section 67 of the Petroleum Act. However, challenges such as limited fuel storage facilities and underutilization of existing capacities persist.
Significant strides were also made in the Liquified Petroleum Gas sector, where 132 LPG sites were inspected. ESERA suspended 44 non-compliant operations during the reporting period, in line with the Trading Licences Order, 1975, emphasizing safety in the burgeoning LPG market.