EVALUATING THE QUALITY CONTROL OF GASOLINE AGAINST ADULTRATION IN ADDIS ABABA CITY ADMINSTRATION.

Abstract

Adulteration of automotive transport fuels at the point of sale and during transportation has become an acute problem in Ethiopia and Addis Ababa is not an exception. This paper evaluates the quality control practices and examines factors contributing to adulteration in Addis Ababa City Administration. It describes a quantitative study on adulteration problem in Addis Ababa and factors contributing to it. Two ways of sampling procedures were applied. 10 fuel stations’ MGR samples were taken to see the current status of adulteration via ASTM scientific method and 0.01% of the city’s salon vehicle drivers were sample size to study the problem of adulteration and its contributing factors. Sample taken as a surprise to see the status of the problem confirmed that 70% of the samples taken from ten petroleum stations of different companies are found to be adulterated. There are different factors contributing to adulteration of gasoline in the city. The quantities of MGR and Kerosene supplied to the city’s market during the last three years, rate of supervision expressed as the frequency of supervision by regulatory body are contributing factors investigated by this research. For the last three years, the quantity of importing both products was changing significantly, the rate of supervision by regulatory body is decreasing within the same period and gasoline adulteration has increased from 15% up to 50% of product being supplied to consumers. Solving the problem of adulteration is demanding stakeholders’ coordination and multilateral approaches. Consistent supervision by the regulatory body, consumers’ awareness, and technical measures such as using markers are some of the measures which will have positive impact on minimizing if not eradicating the problem.