Govt assures motorists of availability of fuel
Government has assured motorists in Malawi that there will be enough fuel in the country from Saturday this week.
This follows sporadic availability of fuel on most fuel pumps for the past weeks due to what fuel companies said was scarcity of forex.
Minister of Information Moses Kunkuyu said on Friday in Blantyre that the government has signed contracts with a number of companies to ensure continuous fuel supply in the country.
Kunkuyu said they have signed contracts with three new companies which will ensure that the country’s fuel reserves have enough fuel.
“Today we are expecting 1.3 million metric tonnes of petrol and 1.6 million metric tonnes of diesel.
“From Monday, they will be loading 6.5 million metric tonnes of petrol and 5 million metric tonnes of diesel,” he said.
He further said government is in the process of engaging fuel suppliers so that payments to them are made in Malawi Kwacha to reduce pressure on forex.
Malawi requires 1.7 million litres of fuel per day.
In the 2022/2023 financial year, the country had a requirement of K600 million for fuel purchases.
Authorities have disclosed plans to construct additional fuel reserves in the country.
Minister of Energy Ibrahim Matola disclosed that the fuel reserves, to be constructed, will be able to store fuel that can be used in the country for two months.
“It’s a SADC requirement that countries in the region should be able to
keep 120 million litres of fuel. This is enough to be used for two months,” said Matola.
The fuel reserves will be an addition to the ones that were constructed in the country between 2013 and 2015.