The South African Revenue Service (Sars) will work with the SA fuel industry to prevent a disaster in the event of a jet fuel shortage (also known as kerosene).
The move by Sars follows a warning from the Fuels Industry Association of South Africa (FIA) about an impending fuel scarcity.
The fuel organization stated that the supply of aviation kerosene is under significant threat and may soon run out. The primary reason for the shortfall is regulatory delays in the licensing of import storage facilities.
Sars stated that it is not liable for the industry’s failure to meet license criteria under the Customs and Excise Act.
Phila Mzamo, FIA spokesman, stated that “the Act does not provide for changes in the industry; for example, it lacks transition mechanisms to special storage warehouse (SOS) status”.
The seriousness of the situation has been heightened by recent developments in KwaZulu-Natal, where the closure of the Engen and Sapref refineries has stretched local production capacity.
