Around 53 million liters of Unioil’s gasoil marked in Bataan —BOC

Bureau of Customs Fuel Marking Team. BOC

The government’s Fuel Marking Team has marked around 53 million liters of gasoil as part of activities to deter fuel smuggling, the Bureau of Customs said Thursday.

The gasoil with paid duties and taxes amounting to P424 405,367 is from Unioil Petroleum Philippines.

On Tuesday, the team poured the fuel marker into the storage tanks to blend with the petroleum products discharged from the carrying vessel at the Unioil Terminal Depot in Mariveles, Bataan, the bureau said.

The marking activity was led by Port of Limay District Collector Michael Angelo DC Vargas with some representatives from fuel marking provider SGS-SICPA and Oilink International Corp. Terminal Depot.

In August, the government started the fuel marking system which aims to address the problem of smuggling.

Other terminals like Pure Petroleum in Subic, Phoenix Petroleum in Calaca, SL Gas, Petron Limay, Filoil Bataan, and Amlan Terminals are also set to mark their incoming fuel imports with the installation of Fuel Marking Provider’s satellite offices, BOC said.

The BOC, Department of Finance (DOF), Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), SGS-SICPA, and the oil companies are working together to speed up marking all petroleum products before releasing the fuel to the market.

The BOC expects all gasoline, diesel, and kerosene to be marked by February 2020.

Non-compliant petroleum products face corresponding penalties such as seizure of petroleum products and vessels or tank trucks, and closure of premises, the BOC said. —Joviland Rita/VDS, GMA News