PEF registers 13,600 trucks for electronic loading scheme

THE Petroleum Equalisation Fund (Management) Board said that it had registered 13,600 trucks in the second phase of its electronic loading scheme tagged “Project Aquila 2”.

The Executive Secretary of the Fund, Mrs. Adefunke Kasali, announced this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Tuesday.

Project Aquila is an automated electronic loading scheme aimed at providing accurate data for petroleum products distribution, ensure transparency and efficiency in the management of bridging claims to marketers.

Kasali said the exercise entailed the registration and tagging of trucks used for the transportation of petroleum products across the country to ensure proper monitoring and delivery of the products.

She said that the second phase of the scheme was an improvement on Project Aquila 1 which only tracked products from loading to delivery at destination depot.

“Project Aquila 1focused on depot to depot activities but “Project Aquila 2” is to track products movement from depot to outlets to check diversion.

“It is to ensure that any product that is meant for particular outlet actually gets to its destination.

“With the new scheme which has large capacity more than the old one, it will be difficult for anyone to steal products while in transit,” she said.

According to her, the second phase of the scheme’s tag is engraved to the body of the truck, it is a more permanent system that can not be tampered with.

“Once the information is encoded through the Radio Frequency Information Device (RFID) it could only be decoded at the outlet through the same device,” she said.

Kasali said that the project would ensure a win-win situation for marketers, PEF and the nation at large and would ensure that marketers’ claims were processed faster.

“It will bring about transparency, eliminate wastage and ensure reduction in human errors in the processing,’’ she said.

The executive secretary also said the process would help check diversion of products, enhance uniformity in price and adequate supply of the product across the country (NAN)

IAA/PAD/IA