Petrol shortage hits Malawi

Malawi has been hit by petrol shortage particularly in the central and northern regions a situation which started last week.

Motorists in the two regions have had to persevere queuing for a longtime to refuel their vehicles and this has also forced minibuses and taxis to raise their fares.

The country’s local daily of the Guardian reported Friday that operators of minibuses and taxis hiked fares with minibus operators charging a dollar.

However Malawi Energy Regulatory Authority (Mera) said in a press statement Thursday that the fuel situation would normalize this week.

This is not the first time the country has been in such a situation; a few months ago the country also faced a shortage of diesel which affected the whole country.

Mera’s Chief Executive Officer Charles Kafumba attributed the petrol shortage to logistical challenges which he said affected the loading of both petrol and diesel from Malawi Cargo Centres Limited (MCCL) fuel depot in Tanzania.

In another development the country’s Petroleum Importers Limited (PIL) said its 1.2 million litres consignment of oil was stuck in tankers of Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (Tazara) for over six months.

The Daily Times quoted PIL General Manager Robert Mdeza saying they have been in payment disagreements with Tazara who he said have been charging rates to transport the commodity.