South Sudan has seized eleven fuel tankers that have been transporting petroleum fuel into the country.
Reports from Juba indicate that the authorities in South Sudan have impounded the shipment of the said fuel at the Nimule (Namoli) inland port, and border crossing, for allegedly not meeting the standard specifications stipulated in the country’s commercial laws.
The tankers and their consignments of fuel were seized during what is being described as routine inspections at the One Stop Border Post of Nimule (Namoli), according to the official statement released from the South Sudan National Bureau of Standards (SSNBS)
The South Sudan National Bureau of Standards confirmed that the shipment of petroleum fuel contained in the 11 fuel tankers failed the quality and laboratory tests as it did not comply with the technical standards approved by the East African Community (EAC) posing a potential risk to consumer safety and vehicle performance
The statement noted that this measure falls under the implementation of the Standards and Metrology Act of 2012 emphasizing the government’s commitment to ensuring the quality of imports especially sensitive materials such as fuel
While the identity of the supplier or truck owners were not revealed immediately and even the expected legal actions against them were not disclosed by the South Sudan bureau of standards officials, the authorities however insisted that they intensified inspection operations at all border crossings to intercept any non-compliant goods and products entering Juba.
Some of the trucks however bore Kenyan registrations.
Though less known, the Namoli inland port is considered to be one of the main entry points for goods into South Sudan with its activities subject to strict oversight to ensure compliance with local and regional standards