Tightening lubricants trade to be huge relief to stakeholders in Tanzania

Owners of cars and other machineries may have something to smile about, after Energy and Water Utilities Regulatory Authority (EWURA) officially threw its weight behind regulating the local lubricants business.

According to EWURA, all importers, producers, distributors and sellers of lubricants must have registered all types of lubricants with the authority by March 31, this year. After that deadline, the regulator won’t allow any dealer to import, produce or distribute lubricants that would not have been registered.

As gathered by Daily News Tanzania, EWURA Public Relations Manager, Mr Titus Kaguo, said it had come to the authority’s attention that the situation on the ground with regard to the lubricants business was pretty bad.

“Having successfully brought sanity into the fuel business in the country, we are now turning our attention to the lubricants business. We are coming with full force to regulate it,” Mr Kaguo emphatically stated. He added that a quick survey and reports from consumers revealed that fake, sub-standard and recycled lubricants were rampant.

“Generally speaking, the situation is worse. People are selling lubricants that are not fit for use, causing damage to cars and other machineries, occasioning immense loss to the owners,” Mr Kaguo said. He pointed out that in order to bring sanity into the lubricants business, EWURA would fully collaborate with the Government Chemist Laboratory (GCLA), the Fair Competition Commission (FCC) and Tanzania Bureau of Standards (TBS).

Recently, EWURA issued advertisement notice, requiring all lubricant wholesalers and or producers to register all types of the products with EWURA by March 31, this year. To facilitate the exercise, EWURA has availed relevant forms on its website: www.ewura.go.tz. The forms can also be picked from its offices. In the same notice, it is stated that all lubricant blending plants operating in the country and distributors must also acquire EWURA licences. According to the Authority, all lubricant distributors should distribute or sell products from companies they have entered into agreements with.

EWURA also wants all lubricant distributors to enter into agreement with dealers, to whom they will be able to sell their products; not those with whom they don’t have agreements with. Stakeholders in the industry, especially lubricant wholesalers and producers, according to EWURA, must sensitize distributors and other dealers on the products.

Excerpt:
“People are selling lubricants that are not fit for use, causing damage to cars and other machineries, occasioning immense loss to the owners…”