BERA and BURS Strengthen Joint Efforts to Tackle Illegal Fuel Trade in Botswana

BERA and BURS Strengthen Joint Efforts to Tackle Illegal Fuel Trade in Botswana. The Botswana Energy Regulatory Authority (BERA) and the Botswana Unified Revenue Service (BURS) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen cooperation in tackling illicit fuel trade and revenue leakages in Botswana’s petroleum sector.

The agreement, signed on Monday, establishes a framework for closer collaboration between the two institutions on enforcement, monitoring and oversight across the petroleum supply chain.

Under the MoU, BERA and BURS will coordinate enforcement activities, conduct joint risk management and strengthen intelligence-led monitoring of petroleum products.

The cooperation will also cover Botswana’s entry points, where the movement of petroleum products will be monitored as part of efforts to address illicit activities.

The two institutions said the partnership is intended to support a more coordinated approach to enforcement, replacing isolated interventions with joint efforts informed by information and risk assessments.

Through the agreement, BERA and BURS will combine their respective mandates, technical expertise, data and technology to strengthen their ability to identify and respond to risks affecting the petroleum sector.

BERA’s role includes regulating and overseeing the petroleum industry, while BURS is responsible for revenue administration, including tax and customs matters. The collaboration is intended to support both institutions in carrying out their respective responsibilities.

For BERA, the agreement supports regulatory compliance and oversight of the petroleum industry. For BURS, improved monitoring of fuel movements is linked to efforts to protect government revenue and address activities that could result in tax and customs revenue losses.

The MoU also provides a framework for sustained information sharing, joint risk assessment and coordinated enforcement between the two agencies.

The partnership comes as Botswana continues efforts to strengthen revenue collection and regulatory compliance across key economic sectors.