Chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee on Natural Resources and Climate Change, Welani Chilenga, on Wednesday criticized members of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) for politicizing his committee’s report on fuel price adjustments.
DPP members expressed their disappointment by walking out of Parliament in protest of the proposal to adjust fuel prices.
In the report, the committee recommended that, due to the challenges faced by the Malawi Energy Regulatory Authority (MERA), fuel prices should be adjusted accordingly to ensure sustainability.
“This adjustment is essential to maintain fuel availability and avoid the problems associated with fuel shortages,” said Chilenga.
He warned that if MERA continues to incur losses, fuel companies may be unable to supply fuel to Malawi, which could lead to a fuel crisis and negatively impact the economy.
Chilenga condemned certain members of Parliament for politicizing the report in an attempt to gain favor with the public.
“They are doing this deliberately to create a fuel shortage in the country, which they can then use to campaign against the government,” added Chilenga.
Recently, the Chief Executive Officer of the Consumers Association of Malawi (CAMA), John Kapito, echoed the proposal to adjust fuel prices to avoid potential issues related to fuel shortages.
Kapito supported the decision, noting that MERA currently has K784 billion in loans, of which K389 billion was borrowed in 2018 under the previous administration.
