Legislation

Under the threat from international oil sanctions in the past, the liquid fuel industry was losing less governmental intervention and regulation. It aimed to deregulate crude oil procurement. The 1998 White Paper on Energy ushered in a new era of change by propement and refining, and to remove price control and import and export control.

The industry is regulated by the South African government’s Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) which, in turn, is monitored by a Parliamentary Portfolio Committee. The National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA) is also responsible for regulating the petroleum pipelines industry in accordance with the provisions of the Petroleum Pipelines Act, 2003 (Act No. 60 of 2003).

The DMRE derives its mandate from the White Paper on the Energy Policy of December 1998. The White Paper on Renewable Energy of November 2003 supplements the White Paper on Energy Policy. The Energy Security Master Plan for Liquid Fuels, which was approved by Cabinet in 2007, primarily addresses the short to medium term infrastructural constraints within the sector. A detailed list of the Acts, regulations, working rules, draft regulations, policies and strategy documents can be found here on the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy website.