The Malawi Energy Regulatory Authority (MERA) has issued a strict directive requiring selected fuel service stations across the country to operate only between 6:00 in the morning and 6:00 in the evening, effective immediately and until further notice.
MERA CEO Henry Kachaje
The directive, dated 19th August 2025, is part of measures aimed at addressing persistent fuel shortages and ensuring fair and equitable distribution of fuel to consumers.
According to MERA, the fuel supply crisis has been worsened by illegal activities such as fuel vending, hoarding, and supply to the parallel market, which have made it difficult for ordinary Malawians to access fuel.
The authority has listed specific fuel stations in various districts where the new rules will apply. These include:
MERA has made it clear that Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) operating in these areas are required to ensure their service stations strictly comply with the operating hours.
The regulator has also intensified monitoring and inspections to enforce the directive. Any service station found opening outside the prescribed hours or engaging in illegal fuel-related dealings will face serious consequences, including administrative and legal penalties, suspension, or even revocation of operating licenses.
“This temporary measure is to guarantee fairness and stop unscrupulous practices that undermine public access to fuel,” reads part of the directive.
MERA has since called on members of the public to report any fuel stations suspected of engaging in illegal activities to the nearest police station, through its toll-free line 4259, or via email at [email protected].
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3 replies on “MERA Orders Some Fuel Stations to Operate Only Between 6AM and 6PM”
How I wish Mera used its directive with strictness and seriousness. We people of Namwera Mangochi are suffering so much with illegal vendors that ply the fuel bussiness. The mentioned filling station and those not mentioned are really pinning us when it comes to buying fuel. We stand long hours and sometimes the whole day in search for fuel but we are never attended because the sellers only look to those vendors with big drums,gallons etc. We seem as if we are malawians living in a foreign country where we don’t have the chance to say anything for Noone hears. We watch gallons, 210 litre drums and other big vessels being smuggled to Mozambique in full view of the police. The vendors block our ways to buy fuel with an aim that we buy from them at very high prices.
Please we don’t even have trust in the police because they are also involved either in the same fuel vending or they are bribed by those vendors. I think for sanity to exist Mera should deploy soldiers to make order in our filling stations.
If this can be done I am telling you fuel can last for weeks in our filling stations and everyone can be able to access it with peace and comfort.
This some how looks very bias. Major at risk districts have been left out. Also consider that most of the areas have in transit goods with large vehicles. Slowing down trade when most of the country is leaving on day to day income is not the right move.
This is a good development,most border filling station used to smuggle fuel to our neighbouring countries!! Sometimes we Malawians escalated smuggling fuel because of luck of employment as businesses forgeting we are digging our own graves!! We need to find a better solution to that so that this system of smuggling fuel should stop forever!!
How I wish Mera used its directive with strictness and seriousness. We people of Namwera Mangochi are suffering so much with illegal vendors that ply the fuel bussiness. The mentioned filling station and those not mentioned are really pinning us when it comes to buying fuel. We stand long hours and sometimes the whole day in search for fuel but we are never attended because the sellers only look to those vendors with big drums,gallons etc. We seem as if we are malawians living in a foreign country where we don’t have the chance to say anything for Noone hears. We watch gallons, 210 litre drums and other big vessels being smuggled to Mozambique in full view of the police. The vendors block our ways to buy fuel with an aim that we buy from them at very high prices.
Please we don’t even have trust in the police because they are also involved either in the same fuel vending or they are bribed by those vendors. I think for sanity to exist Mera should deploy soldiers to make order in our filling stations.
If this can be done I am telling you fuel can last for weeks in our filling stations and everyone can be able to access it with peace and comfort.
This some how looks very bias. Major at risk districts have been left out. Also consider that most of the areas have in transit goods with large vehicles. Slowing down trade when most of the country is leaving on day to day income is not the right move.
This is a good development,most border filling station used to smuggle fuel to our neighbouring countries!! Sometimes we Malawians escalated smuggling fuel because of luck of employment as businesses forgeting we are digging our own graves!! We need to find a better solution to that so that this system of smuggling fuel should stop forever!!