LPG distribution and depot networks
LPG marketers in Tanzania lose margin to the same three leaks: cylinders that never come back, deposits that never reconcile, and gas decanted out of branded bottles. Cylinder tracking gives a marketer one view of the float held at every depot and dealer, with an alert the moment a dealer's losses cross a threshold.
A note on accuracy
LPG marketing in Tanzania is licensed and price-regulated by EWURA, and the requirements change. Where a specific licence condition, fee or standard is not confirmed from a current primary source it is marked and presented as general context, not settled fact. This is an explainer, not legal or licensing advice.
Where a marketer's cylinders — and margin — leak
A cylinder is a capital asset that spends most of its life outside your fence. Once a bottle leaves the depot for a sub-dealer or a retailer, a marketer running on paper or spreadsheets usually only learns it is gone at stock-take — long after it could have been recovered. Across dozens of dealers and several depots, the shortfall becomes a monthly write-off nobody can pin to a cause.
Three leaks recur: float loss (cylinders that never return), deposit slippage (deposits taken but not tied to named cylinders, so they cannot be enforced), and decanting (branded gas siphoned into other bottles, which erodes both volume and brand trust). Each of these is invisible to a bulk count and obvious in a per-cylinder record.
Cylinder control across the whole network
Built on the per-cylinder custody chain, rolled up to the level a marketer actually manages — depot by depot, dealer by dealer. Every capability below is a real feature of the Trakora cylinder module.
Network float view
See the cylinders currently held at each depot and dealer — issued, returned and outstanding — instead of one blended stock figure.
/ loss-reportsDealer-loss alert
When a dealer's unreturned cylinders cross a set threshold, an alert fires against that dealer — the early signal to intervene before it becomes a write-off.
/ dealer_loss_thresholdDeposit reconciliation
Deposits attach to named cylinders, so an unreturned bottle maps to a specific outstanding deposit you can actually enforce.
/ custody-chainOverdue-return alerts
Any cylinder out past its window trips an alert against whoever last held it, with the date it left — recover it or charge the deposit.
/ cylinder_overdue_returnRequalification due dates
Track fills and inspection due dates per cylinder so bottles come off the road for requalification on schedule, not by luck.
/ refill-cyclePer-depot roles
Depot managers, drivers and sub-dealers each act under their own login, so every hand-off and every loss has an accountable name.
/ rolesThe honest boundary
Trakora gives a marketer the custody record, the float reports and the alerts. It does not obtain your EWURA licence, grant brand authority under the recirculation model, or certify cylinders — those obligations remain yours. What changes is that you can now see and act on losses while they are still recoverable.
EWURA, brand authority and cylinder control
Cylinder traceability is not only commercial in Tanzania — it runs alongside the regulatory framework. The points below are general context; confirm the current detail with EWURA.
- EWURA licensing & pricing
- EWURA licenses LPG operators and regulates price, and has intervened in the market — including steps that target the price differentials which drive illegal decanting.
- Branded Cylinder Recirculation Model (BCRM)
- Refilling, rebranding, defacing or maintaining a cylinder without the brand owner's prior written authority is treated as an offence, and the model's aims explicitly include tracking cylinders for traceability across the chain.
- Requalification
- Cylinders are periodically requalified for safety; keeping to the due dates is part of running a responsible branded float.
| Point | Status | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Current EWURA LPG licence classes & fees | — | Not published here; requirements and fees change. Confirm with EWURA.† |
| Mandated cylinder marking rules (2013 regs) | — | Referenced but primary text not read here; confirm the current requirement.† |
| Requalification interval | — | Real practice; exact interval not stated here. Confirm with your filler/EWURA.† |
EWURA LPG licence classes & fees
Cylinder marking rules (2013 regs)
Requalification interval
Frequently asked questions
How does this help a multi-depot LPG marketer specifically?
It rolls the per-cylinder custody chain up to the level you manage: float held at each depot and dealer, outstanding deposits by cylinder, and a dealer-loss alert when one dealer's unreturned bottles cross a threshold — so you intervene per dealer, not per monthly write-off.
What is the dealer-loss threshold alert?
You set a limit for how many cylinders a dealer can have outstanding. When their unreturned count crosses it, an alert fires against that dealer, giving you an early, named signal to follow up before the loss compounds.
Do you help with EWURA licensing or BCRM registration?
No. Licensing and brand authority stay with you and EWURA. Trakora provides the tracking, deposit reconciliation and traceability records that support responsible operation — not the licence itself. Confirm your obligations with EWURA.
Can we start with a few depots and expand?
Yes. Tag the cylinders and scan points you want to control first, then extend across the network. Pricing is scoped to your cylinder volume and depot count and quoted in TZS — talk to us and we will size it.
How are the cylinders identified?
With a durable QR/barcode or RFID tag per cylinder. See the chain of custody for how each tag is scanned from filling to return.
Related pages
Control cylinders across your whole network
Tell us your brands, how many depots and dealers you run, and roughly how many cylinders circulate, and we will scope cylinder control for your distribution — priced in TZS.
This page is general information, not legal or licensing advice. Confirm current LPG licensing and cylinder requirements with EWURA and your brand authority before acting. Trakora does not obtain licences or issue EWURA/BCRM filings on your behalf and does not claim TBS approval for any tag or process.
Items marked — or footnoted are not confirmed from a current primary source. LPG licensing, fees and standards change; each must be verified directly with EWURA or the relevant authority before being relied upon or presented as settled fact.