Mera rules out fuel shortage

The Malawi Energy Regulatory Authority (Mera) has said the country has sufficient stock of fuel and there is no chance of any shortage amid fears that political instability in neighbouring Mozambique may affect supply of fuel to the country.

Recent reports indicate that some fuel tankers were intercepted while on their way to Malawi by unknown militia groups in Mozambique.

The situation has ignited suspicions of a fuel shortage hitting Malawi but in a statement, Mera Chief Executive Officer, Raphael Kamoto, said there was no need for panic as inflow of the commodity to the country remains uninterrupted.

“As at June 20, 2016, the country had sufficient internal stock within the required minimum level for consumption without replenishing,” the statement quotes Kamoto as saying.

But in an interview, Chairperson for the Parliamentary Committee on Natural Resources and Climate Change, Welani Chilenga, said the situation at the Beira corridor has slowed transportation of fuel into the country.

“We want government to identify an alternative route in the soonest time possible,” Said Chilenga, adding that “some people have already started hoarding fuel as a result of the situation”.

Chilenga also suggested that government should prioritise the Northern Corridor in the soonest time possible if the situation is to improve.

Currently, the Beira route which has been deemed risky for transportation is used to transport 65 percent of Malawi’s fuel with the remaining 35 percent coming through the Nacala and Dar es Salaam corridors.

The National Oil Company of Malawi (Nocma) could not confirm the amount of fuel the country has in stock.

Nocma spokesperson, Telephorus Chigwenembe only said they are exploring the possibility of using the Zambia-Zimbabwe routes.

Currently Malawi uses about one million litres of fuel every day and the last time the country experienced a fuel crisis was in 2012.