Fuel Transporters Association Secretary Mwiza Chawinga has dismissed reports that the current fuel shortage is due to transportation issues, contradicting an earlier statement by the government.

Chawinga told The Daily Times that there is currently no fuel for transporters to carry, further claiming that the government has not yet procured fuel under the new Government-to-Government (G2G) arrangement.

“Transport is not the problem. The issue is that there is no fuel to transport. We are hopeful that, this week, we will begin transporting fuel to Beira as we’ve heard that PIL [Petroleum Importers Limited] is procuring fuel that will be coming into the country,” Chawinga said.

In response, government spokesperson Moses Kunkuyu said that there are sufficient stocks flowing into the country daily, and that isolated stockouts at some service stations are only temporary.

He further assured the public that there was no need to panic, as measures have been put in place to ensure supply security.

“Long-term G2G contracts are underway, and we hope the Ministry of Energy, through National Oil Company of Malawi (Nocma)—as the appointed government agent—will conclude these in the coming days. The expectation is for the first consignment under the G2G deal to arrive in the country in June,” he said.

Kunkuyu added that authorised dealer banks, with support from the Reserve Bank of Malawi, continued to provide financing to the two main importers, namely Nocma and PIL, to ensure that the country remains adequately supplied with fuel.

Recently, Malawi Energy Regulatory Authority (Mera) spokesperson Fitina Khonje said Mera would soon issue a statement.

“A statement will be made in due course,” Khonje said.

Malawi has been facing fuel shortages, which the government attributes to the ongoing foreign exchange challenges.

A few months ago, President Lazarus Chakwera and other government officials travelled to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to discuss a G2G fuel deal.

However, the G2G arrangement has raised concerns regarding its implementation, especially after the government fast-tracked legislation in Parliament to amend fuel procurement laws.

Critics argue that the process lacked transparency and sufficient consultation.

Last week, President Lazarus Chakwera signed various agreements with Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the UAE.

Nahyan and other UAE officials met with Chakwera at Kamuzu Palace in Lilongwe, where, according to Minister of Foreign Affairs Nancy Tembo, three agreements were signed.

“We have, so far, signed agreements in the areas of mining, education and agriculture, which will strengthen the relationship between the two countries,” Tembo said.

She said that the visit by UAE officials was a result of the