Motorists can now breathe a sigh of relief as over 100 trucks loaded with diesel and petrol have arrived in the country from Tanga in Tanzania through the Songwe Border in Karonga.
Speaking at Songwe Border on Saturday, Minister of Energy Ibrahim Matola, said following a policy shift in fuel importation by President Dr Lazarus MacCarthy Chakwera, government and the National Oil Company of Malawi (NOCMA), have procured 40,000 metric tonnes (about 51.5 million litres) of diesel and petrol from Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
“This emergency fuel procurement aims at supplementing the normal fuel imports by NOCMA, Petroleum Importers Limited and other licensed importers which have faced challenges in accessing fuel import financing leading to the current fuel shortages,” said Matola.
“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,” he added.
The Minister has urged 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.
By George Mponda, MANA
