Fuel price cut: too little too late?

Malawi Energy Regulatory Authority’s (Mera) decision to cut fuel prices will have no effect on market prices due to price stickness, consumers and business captains have said.

This means consumers will have nothing to smile about, commentators have said.

Consumer Association of Malawi (Cama) executive director John Kapito said yesterday that the current fuel price reduction will have no effect on market prices as it is coming at a time when market prices were already set.
“This will hurt consumers over Christmas and New Year. These suspicious increases could have been managed better, considering that we were entering the festive season and that there were signs that internationally, prices of fuel were coming down.

“It is a pity that we will have to pay the huge cost because of poor planning and I believe this price reduction has done just to save a political face as a result of the negative ramifications the full price adjustment had on government. It’s a face saver.
“We wish to encourage