Natural Resources, Energy and Mining Minister Jean Mathanga has disclosed that 3.2 million litres of fuel are expected to arrive in the country by Friday this week.
Mathanga disclosed this during parliamentary deliberations in Lilongwe yesterday.
She was presenting a ministerial statement on issues pertaining to fuel and power supply.
She said the fuel would be hauled by 92 trucks that were already on their way into the country.
“As we speak today [Tuesday], we are expecting to receive about 45 trucks and, between today and Friday, there will be a total of 92 trucks, translating to 3.2 million litres and, after that, we will be able to maintain the flow of the fuel,” she said.
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According to the minister, challenges Malawi has been facing include those of forex availability and trucks’ shortage.
Mathanga also said monthly fuel demand had increased in the country, with statistics indicating that it had increased from 52 million litres in 2024 to 65 million litres in 2025.
She said the demand was eventually leading to consumption of more forex.
“We are working on making sure that there is no gap, [that] there should be steady flow of fuel. We have had some challenges with forex and we do not have strategic reserves; as such, it’s hand to mouth. Whatever fuel is brought into the country goes straight to the pump stations for consumption. So, we are trying to make sure that we engage the Reserve Bank of Malawi, Ministry of Finance and other multilateral organisations to assist us so that we should be able to improve fuel for both consumption and strategic reserves,” she said.
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Leader of the Opposition Simplex Chithyola Banda urged the government to ensure effective management of the automatic fuel pricing mechanism.
“My, and Malawians’, worry is that if the automatic fuel pricing is not well managed, it could lead to the skyrocketing of prices of basic commodities—may be that needs to be expounded. The reason why we control prices of fuel is because fuel is an enabler of so many economic factors. Once it doesn’t have static kind of pricing, there is no stability [and] the result is that it will affect other social services,” Chithyola Banda said.
