DPP says NO fuel price hike: “Raising fuel prices will hurt already burdened Malawians”

Members of Parliament (MPs) under the main opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) on Wednesday walked out of the National Assembly in protest to a proposal to raise prices of fuel.

The proposal follows a recommendation from the Parliamentary Committee on Natural Resources and Climate Change that pump prices be adjusted upwards.

The Committee made the recommendation after meeting the Malawi Energy Regulatory Authority (MERA).

But DPP lawmakers did not agree with this, arguing that this is not the right time to raise fuel prices because Malawians are already burdened with the high cost of living.

But when they saw that the First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Madalitso Kazombo, was not giving them a chance to express their contrary views, they walked out in protest.

Speaking to journalists outside parliament, Leader of Opposition in Parliament George Chaponda accused the government side of bulldozing.

“What we noted is that they wanted everyone to endorse the fuel price adjustment. We did not come into this House to rubber stamp issues but to make decisions which are for the interest of Malawians,” he said.

In his contribution before walking out, DPP spokesperson Shadric Namalomba, who is also a member of the Natural Resources and Climate Change Committee, raised fears that raising fuel prices will have a negative impact on the lives of people.

Namalomba said as a party that cares about the people, DPP would not want to be party to resolutions that would end in burdening poor Malawians even further.