Govt to tag officers at pumps to monitor fuel oil situation

The Bangladesh government on Saturday decided to appoint tag officers at filling stations across Bangladesh to monitor the fuel oil supply management now under strain because of high demand, supply shortage and hoarding in the wake of war in the Gulf Region.

Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation under the ministry of energy power mineral resources would appoint tag officers from the public officials at pumps in Dhaka and Chattogram metropolitan areas and the district commissioners would appoint tag officers in the district level, said a press release issued by the energy division.

The tag officers would provide monitoring reports regarding fuel oils to BPC on a daily basis, added the press release.

The directives have been given one day after vigilance teams for 64 districts amid complaints of hoarding and persisting queues for fuel at filling stations were announced on Friday.

Raids in several districts were made to recover around 64,000 litres of illegally stored fuel oils.

The government is facing problems to meet the high demand of fuel oils since the war following a joint strike by the United States and Israel on Iran on February 28, and retaliation by Tehran on the US interests in the Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Qatar and Israel have disrupted the global energy trade.

The Gulf Region is the home to half of the global energy outputs while the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow strip on the Persian Gulf and also a lateral of Iran, is a critical chokepoint for 20 per cent of the daily fuel oil supply.

Iran has almost closed the Strait for the movement of vessels since the beginning of the war.

News Courtesy:

New Age | Govt to tag officers at pumps to monitor fuel oil situation