Malawi has no accounting for 15.56 billion kwacha in carbon tax
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on The Maravi Post
Illustrative image · 振中 潘 · Pexels · Licence PexelsAn assessment by Malawi’s National Youth Network on Climate Change estimates that 15.56 billion kwacha in carbon tax has not been accounted for over five years. The study covers management of the revenue from the 2019-2020 financial year to 31 March 2026, and the organisation is calling for greater transparency over its use, according to Maravi Post.
Nearly 15.56 billion kwacha (about 9.36 billion from the domestic fuel levy and 6.20 billion from foreign and transit vehicles) collected as carbon tax in Malawi has not been accounted for over the 2019-2026 period. The finding is contained in an assessment of carbon tax management by the National Youth Network on Climate Change (NYNCC), a Malawian climate action advocacy organisation.
The report covers the chain from assessment and collection to remittance to the Treasury, allocation, use and publication of spending. Dominic Nyasulu, NYNCC’s national coordinator, says the legal framework allows the levy to be collected but does not guarantee a binding link between revenue and environmental spending. According to the assessment, 59% of the payments analysed came from the National Oil Company of Malawi (NOCMA) and 35.1% from Petroleum Importers Limited (PIL), together accounting for 94.1% of the total.
The NYNCC cites foreign currency shortages, payment delays between 2023 and 2025, failure by importers to remit levies and the accumulation of arrears. Dominic Nyasulu is calling for an update on how the funds have been used; no reports of abuse have been made at this stage, according to the report cited by The Maravi Post.
