MERA assures public of availability of petrol

Malawi Energy Regulatory Authority (MERA) takes cognizance that in the past few days some parts of the country have been experiencing sporadic supply of petrol, which was due to challenges that importers faced at the loading ports of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania and Beira in Mozambique.

However, MERA assures the public that “the challenges have been resolved and loading is now in progress at both ports and supply has already been restored in some service stations”.

The Regulator emphasizes that the supply is expected to be “completely restored countrywide by this weekend” and thus assures the public that “the current supply shortages are temporary and that efforts are being made to ensure that fuel supply is restored as soon as possible”.

“MERA, therefore urges the public to avoid panic buying as this greatly distorts consumption and affects the timely implementation of the supply restoration plan,” said the public notice issued on Thursday, April 27.

Once motorists noticed that several service stations had run dry, there were long queues at those which had petrol but the long wait to be serviced was being exacerbated by motorbike taxi operators (kabaza)

They mostly top up and dash elsewhere to siphon out the petrol before returning on several trips by jumping the line of vehicles.

Most motorists are exasperated with this tendency and over and over again asks service stations’ management to reign in this unfair practice by dedicating one pump for these kabazas.

In the past, vendors were also clogging service stations with jerrycans, which MERA banned unless one makes a special application to be approved by the Regulator after determining if the need to do so is necessary.