Henry Kachaje, the Chief Executive Officer of the Malawi Energy Regulatory Authority (MERA), has blamed unauthorized vendors for the fuel crisis ravaging the country.
Kachaje stated that these vendors are exacerbating the country’s fuel shortage by selling fuel on the black market at inflated prices. He made these remarks on Tuesday during a session of Malawi’s parliamentary committee on Industry, Trade, and Tourism in Lilongwe.
According to Kachaje, these vendors are purchasing large quantities of fuel and reselling it at higher prices, thereby contributing to the shortage.
“There have been fuel imports that would ensure a stable supply but it has been hijacked by vendors, ” Kachaje said.
Kachaje further noted that the fuel supply that arrived in Malawi last week should have been adequate to alleviate the shortage. However, Kachanje insisted that “the crisis continues due to the activities of these black-market vendors. The fuel that came into the country last week was enough to end the shortage, but the problem has not been resolved because of the actions of these vendors”.
The fuel shortage has now extended into its third week, impacting various sectors across the Southern African country.
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