Malawi: Fuel Crisis Growing Despite Government Efforts
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Tuesday, 01 November 2011 |
Malawi’s Energy Minister, Goodall Gondwe, has said that the Government is looking for a way to address fuel shortages in the country, speaking to several potential partners. In an interview with local media, Gondwe could not give a definite timeframe in which the shortage could be resolved, and would not identify which partners the Government was negotiating with about importing fuel to the country.
According to Malawi today, chronic shortages in the country have led to a burgeoning black market in fuel, with middlemen adulterating the product, which in turn is damaging engines. “The K500 million government has released will ease the situation in the coming days and I would like to urge everyone to be patient because this is fuel that will last for almost 20 days,” said Alex Chiwaya, Chief Executive Officer of the Malawi Energy Regulatory Authority (Mera). However, Chiwaya would not say precisely when a new shipment of fuel would be received.
The newspaper also reported that shortages have led to long queues and angry confrontations at fuel service stations, particularly where local transporters have bought up sporadic supplies in bulk. Minibus fares have also risen, with less vehicles on the road.
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