By Cedric Nkungula
Fuel shortage will soon be a thing of the past as more than 100 trucks carrying Diesel and Petrol have arrived in the country from Tanga in Tanzania through Songwe Border in Karonga.
The development is a sigh of relief to motorists in the country who have been struggling to get fuel in the past weeks.
As of Saturday, over 100 trucks carrying about 35,000 litres of fuel have already crossed the Tanzanian boarder into the country.
Officials from National Oil Company of Malawi (NOCMA) says more trucks are expected to enter Malawi this evening.
Speaking to the media Saturday, Minister of Energy Ibrahim Matola said following a policy shift in fuel importation by President Lazarus Chakwera, Government of Malawi and its appointed agent, NOCMA, has procured 40,000 Metric Tons (about 51.5 million litres) of Diesel and Petrol from Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
This emergency fuel procurement, said Matola, is aimed at supplementing the normal fuel imports by NOCMA, Petroleum Importers Limited (PIL) and other licensed importers which have faced challenges in accessing fuel import financing leading to the current fuel shortages.
“We planned to have 1409 trucks to haul the fuel from Tanga in Tanzania and Nocma has since put out adverts requesting eligible local and international transporters to express their interest,” explained Matola.
The Minister then called on Malawians to stand together in the face of challenges and work towards finding solutions, rather than taking pleasure in others’ misfortunes, emphasising that energy is the backbone of the economy.
