By Burnett Munthali
The Executive Director of the Centre for Democracy and Economic Development Initiatives (CDEDI), Sylvester Namiwa, has accused the Malawi government of deliberately delaying the implementation of the state-to-state fuel procurement arrangement.
According to Namiwa, the government is dragging its feet on the deal, despite earlier engagements with several countries during discussions held in the United Arab Emirates.
He observed that while Malawi is still stuck in bureaucratic processes, other countries that participated in the same discussions—namely Kenya, Mozambique, and South Africa—have already started benefiting from the deal.
Namiwa noted that in those countries, fuel prices have dropped significantly following the operationalization of the agreement.
He emphasized that the arrangement is highly beneficial and has the potential to ease the economic burden on ordinary Malawians once implemented.
Namiwa believes that if the Malawian government were to prioritize and activate this initiative, citizens across the country would be able to access fuel at more affordable prices.
He called on authorities to urgently operationalize the procurement framework to address the persistent fuel shortages and high pump prices in Malawi.
The CDEDI boss further warned that continued delays could worsen the country’s economic challenges and erode public trust in the government’s commitment to addressing pressing issues.
He concluded by urging transparency and swift action, stressing that Malawians deserve policies that directly improve their livelihoods rather than prolonged political indecision.
