Togo launched a fuel-marking and tracking system in Lomé on July 31, 2026, as part of efforts to modernize oversight of petroleum products. Economy and Strategic Monitoring Minister Badanam Patoki formally introduced the system, which is intended to combat fraud, smuggling and related tax revenue losses.
How the Chemical Tracer Works
The system involves injecting an invisible chemical marker into petroleum products as they are loaded into tanker trucks at the Togolese Storage Company, or STE. Compatible with all types of fuel, the tracer is designed to be extremely difficult to alter or remove. It does not affect fuel quality or harm the environment.
“The markers cannot be altered, can withstand extreme temperatures and do not affect fuel quality. They allow products to be authenticated throughout the supply chain,” said Balam Tchamdja, managing director of SICPA Togo SA, a company specializing in product security, authentication and traceability.
After the fuel is marked, inspectors will conduct checks at various points in the supply chain using portable analyzers that can immediately detect the marker and measure its concentration. A monitoring and data-analysis platform will also allow authorities to track marking operations, product movements and inspection results.
Authorities will use the data to identify irregularities and potential fraud more quickly and improve enforcement of fuel-market regulations.
The program will include extensive field inspections. Esso-Wavana Ahmed Adoyi, chairman of the commission overseeing the contract between the Togolese government and SICPA, said nearly 500 inspections would be conducted each month across the distribution network to verify the compliance of fuel sold on the market. Products found to be noncompliant will be handled in accordance with existing regulations, he said.
The automated system is expected to improve security throughout the fuel supply chain, from storage facilities to retail outlets. It is intended to combat smuggling, fuel diversion, fraudulent blending and other forms of illicit trade, while protecting consumers and helping the government collect more tax revenue.
“The system will help protect tax revenue and reduce the economic losses caused by the illicit fuel trade. It does not target consumers; it targets fraud,” Patoki said.
Earlier Marking Program Raised Tax Revenue
The new system builds on the Automated Marking System, or SAM, introduced in Togo in 2020 for several widely consumed products. The program generated about CFA35.8 billion in tax revenue between 2020 and 2025. In the beer industry alone, it raised more than CFA5 billion between 2022 and 2024. A pilot program covering industrial diesel also increased tax revenue by 8%.
Despite those results, compliance rates still vary sharply across the country. The rate stands at 65% in the Lomé metropolitan area, compared with 10% to 40% in inland regions.
Gautier Agbekodovi