Chiweta M1 road blockage worsens Malawi fuel shortage
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Malawivoice
Malawi’s fuel crisis is worsening as the M1 road is impassable at Chiweta, blocking tankers from the north, according to Transport Minister Jappie Mhango. Economist Paul Gadama calls for lasting reforms to break the cycle of foreign-currency shortages, disrupted imports and rising costs, Malawivoice reports.
Malawi’s Transport Minister, Jappie Mhango, says that the interruption of traffic on the M1 road at Chiweta is preventing tankers from continuing south and worsening the fuel shortage. Malawivoice reported this explanation for the long queues at filling stations.
The Chiweta section, on the route linking northern Malawi to the rest of the country, is regularly affected by erosion and blockages. The crisis is also worsened by a lack of foreign currency, which limits fuel imports. Economist and financial analyst Paul Gadama says the shortages are increasing transport and agricultural production costs, disrupting businesses and raising the price of essential goods.
Paul Gadama advocates an independent national assessment of Malawi’s potential to produce ethanol, covering raw materials, costs, water, the environment and commercial viability, without compromising food security. He cites Brazil’s Proálcool programme, launched in 1975 to produce ethanol from sugar cane. According to International Energy Agency estimates he reported, the programme avoided approximately $52.1 billion in oil-import expenditure between 1975 and 2002. He also recommends assessing fuel purchasing, storage and distribution arrangements according to their actual costs.
The Chiweta blockage comes after truck drivers threatened to block the road on 22 October. The shortage was declared a national emergency the same day, amid opposition criticism of the government’s handling of the crisis.
