The operators of retail service stations have been given three months by the Botswana Energy Regulatory Authority (BERA) to put right the existing breaches concerning safety, the environment and operations, or else their licences could be subject to closure, suspension or revocation. This was a stern warning through a statement issued by the Authority earlier this week.
The directive comes after another round of regular inspections during which the regulator discovered a large number of facilities still not meeting the mandatory requirements. The issues include the lack of, or the improper working of, oil-spill containment systems and oil-water separators, the absence of leak-monitoring wells, inadequate operating procedures, the fact that employees are untrained, and the failure to give personal protective equipment to the attendants at the service stations. According to BERA, the breaches are not simply administrative shortcomings; they present risks to workers and the public and may lead to environmental pollution, such as the contamination of both underground and surface water sources.
After the warning given in May by BERA that operators who were not meeting the regulatory and licensing requirements might be closed down, the Authority stated that the enforcement campaign was intended for the purpose of making sure that the minimum standards regarding safety, the environment and operations were being followed in the petroleum retail sector.
The most recent warning comes just three months after BERA had intensified its enforcement action towards filling stations that were not complying. In June, the regulator temporarily shut down six stations as a result of inspections which revealed, together with other problems, failures in environmental protection, inadequate fire protection systems, the absence of leak-monitoring wells and personnel who were not adequately trained. The operators in question had already been informed of the defects and had been given a period to put them right.
After the warning given in May by BERA that operators who were not meeting the regulatory and licensing requirements might be closed down, the Authority stated that the enforcement campaign was intended for the purpose of making sure that the minimum standards regarding safety, the environment and operations were being followed in the petroleum retail sector.
Concerns expressed by BERA are nothing new since in its earlier assessments it had pointed out that environmental protection measures and the handling of hazardous substances by employees who were not properly trained were ongoing areas of concern. The Authority had, in a previous annual report, noted the temporary closure of some retail outlets because of serious non-compliances, waste oils causing environmental pollution being one of the major problems identified.
BERA states that in some cases operators have had as long as four years to deal with the deficiencies found during earlier inspections but have still failed to carry out the necessary corrective actions.
The three-month compliance period includes September, October and November 2026.
Acting Chief Executive Officer Pelaelo Kgomotso, warned that failure to address outstanding breaches within the stipulated period will leave the Authority with no option but to take further enforcement action, including closure, suspension or revocation of licences.
