Uganda Launches Stickers to Curb Non-Compliant Fuel Stations

The Government of Uganda, through the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development (MEMD) and the National Bureau of Standards (UNBS), has introduced secure stickers with unique identifiers for displaying at fuel stations as visible proof of regulatory compliance.

The stickers aim to curb non-compliant stations that evade penalties by transferring ownership to new players before their licence is revoked, and without informing MEMD.

‘We are to assign stickers with unique identifiers and GPS coordinates to each fuel station. With this technology, we are able to identify who the fuel station owner is, and under this new arrangement the new owner will be responsible for the non-compliance penalties of the previous owner,’ said Peter Kitimbo, MEMD Fuel Marking and Quality Monitoring Supervisor.

The stickers are part of a visible authentication layer that complements the existing chemical fuel marking and quality monitoring programme, in place since 2010.

The stickers will be issued by the Uganda Revenue Authority to licensed, taxcompliant filling stations. They will be affixed to visible areas such as fuel dispensers or station windows. Each sticker carries a unique serial number of code that can be traced back to a specific station. URA enforcement teams will be able to verify the stickers using a handheld scanner, which will cross-check the sticker’s unique code with the pre-registered GPS location. If the code is scanned at the wrong location, it may flag possible fraud or misuse.