Amid an intensified crackdown against the illegal transfer of fuel in the Philippines, two tankers, carrying 370,000 litres of smuggled fuel worth over PHP 20 million ($343,000), were confiscated by the Philippines Bureau of Customs (BOC) in Navotas City in September. One month later, another tanker was caught in the act of transferring smuggled fuel into four lorries at the Port of Batangas.

From 1 June 2024, Kyrgyzstan plans to introduce mandatory marking on all types of fuel products. In particular, it is looking to mark gasoline and diesel fuel – sold exclusively at filling stations – with irremovable molecular markers.

Some years ago, I was asked to give a speech to a Latin American country’s customs authority with respect to fuel marking. To prepare for my presentation, I spoke to several suppliers and did some research with respect to alternatives and positive results around the world.

The Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) has revealed that the country’s fuel marking and quality monitoring programme has led to a drastic reduction in fuel adulteration, from 30% in 2015 to less than 0.5% this year.

The Gambia’s Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs, in partnership with the Gambia Revenue Authority (GRA), has signed a concession agreement with SICPA for the implementation of a revenue mobilisation platform for excisable goods, telecommunication services, and refined fuels.

This year has so far proven very successful for Authentix, as far as contract wins for fuel marking and tax stamp/marking systems on the African continent are concerned.

The European Commission has appointed NYSE-listed Dow (one of the three largest chemical producers in the world) to supply the new common fiscal marker for tax rebated fuels in the European Union.

The National Office of Vine and Vitivinicultural Products (ONVPV) in Romania is using holographic labelling from security printer Eltronis to promote the provenance of its regional wines and protect consumers from potential counterfeits.

In July, the Philippines government reached a milestone in its fuel marking programme when it surpassed 10 billion litres of fuel marked, according to a BusinessWorld article.

In a few months’ time, the current contract for the fuel marking scheme in Mozambique will reach expiry, but it seems likely that the country will choose to continue the scheme, given the positive impact it has had on tax revenues, reports the pan-African news platform The African Exponent.