News On FUEL TRANSPORTATION – Malawi

Players in the fuel haulage business have questioned the Malawi Energy Regulatory Authority (Mera) about the continued dominance of foreigners in the business, who are subduing local firms from profiting. This was addressed at a training workshop organized by Mera, on which members of the parliamentary committee of Natural resources brought up the matter.

The Chairperson called on Mera to push the National Oil Company (Nocma) to consider fair share of business towards Malawians. The development follows a similar one that happened in April this year, when a grouping of Fuel transporters, called Concerned Fuel Haulers, complained that oil companies barely consider local transporters, offering foreign transporters mostly. The grouping noted that only 10 out of 300 transporters are locals, therefore calling on the government to act.

Like the procurement bill that favors 60% to be towards indigenous black Malawians, the fuel transporters want government to come up with a policy that allows only indigenous transporters to haul fuel products for Malawi.

“We also want MRA to intervene and ensure that Nocma does not give contracts of unlicensed foreign transporters to carry liquid fuel” said a representative of the grouping, in April.

Responding to the compliants, Mera Chief Executive Officer, Collins Magalasi, said that the fuel importers can either be in control of the importation process or leave it to firms from which they are buying from.