Malawi Energy Regulatory Authority (Mera) and Malawi Police Service have warned against illegal trading in petroleum products.
Since the ongoing erratic supply of petrol and diesel on the market reach crisis levels three weeks ago, vendors in different parts of the country have been selling the products at up to K25 000 per litre, raising questions of where such fuel is coming from and the silence from the two entities. Normal prices for petrol and diesel are K5 619and K5 863, respectively.
In a joint statement yesterday, Mera and police warned against possession of, storing, transporting, distributing or selling petroleum products without the requisite licences and approvals.
They said such individuals will face immediate investigation, arrest and prosecution in accordance with the laws of Malawi.
Meanwhile, the two agencies have since launched a joint nationwide enforcement operation against these illegal activities.
Reads the statement in part: “Illegal fuel and energy product trading endangers lives, threatens property, damages the environment and undermines the integrity of the energy sector. Mera and the Malawi Police Service will take decisive action against all violators.”
Nevertheless, the two entities have urged licesend service stations to strictly adhere to approved fuel handling procedures and safety measures.
They include proper cordoning and barricading of offloading zones during fuel delivery, enforcement of no-smoking and no-naked-flame zones and switching off of vehicle engines, prohibition of mobile phone use in designated areas.
