Fuel Queues Resurfaces Amid Forex Woes

By Nelson GONJANI–DOWA

Motorists have since Wednesday morning reportedly queued for fuel, especially petrol, that has gone scarce at Mponela in Dowa district.

“It seems the problem for fuel has built a mutual relationship with Malawians. Petrol is only found at one filling station at Mponela which is Super Sink Filing Station,” says one motorist.

Information Minister Moses Kunkuyu had attributed the disruptions in fuel supply to forex shortages; adding they were considering engaging the suppliers to be paying them in local currency.

Last month, government also disclosed it had signed annual contracts with Lake Oil and Camel Oil which have balance volumes of 70 000 metric tonnes (MT).

It added new players, Addax are expected to supply 148 000MT and Augusta Energy 83 000MT, including Nacala volumes.

The queues are also resurfacing after Malawi Energy Regulatory Authority and National Oil Company of Malawi pledged in December last year that Malawians would no longer experience the fuel queues in 2023.

Political and economic commentators have repeatedly called on President Lazarus Chakwera to trim foreign trips to save the forex but Kunkuyu argued that trips whose benefit outweigh the costs would still be encouraged.

In less than four months, Chakwera has been to Qatar, United Kingdom, Zimbabwe, Zambia and Ghana. He might also be heading to China this month-end for the 2023 China—Africa Economic and Trade Expo