Motorists warned against unlicensed traders’ fuel

Desperate motorists resorting to parallel market fuel to keep going amid the shortages on the formal market have been cautioned to tread carefully as black market sources are not safe for their vehicles.

Oil industry expert Davis Lanjesi said in an interview yesterday buying fuel from unlicensed traders is risky.

He said the quality of fuel sold by unlicensed traders is not guaranteed and may damage motor vehicles in the short to medium-term, costing the motorists heavily in repairs.

Lanjesi, a former Puma Energy (Malawi) Limited chief executive officer said: “Oil marketing is regulated and the Malawi Bureau of Standards makes sure that those registered comply with the standards. So, if you buy from unlicensed traders, you are never sure of the quality.”

Minibus Owners Association of Malawi (Moam) secretary general Coaxley Kamange agreed with Lanjesi’s sentiments against purchasing fuel from the parallel market. He said some motorists, including minibus operators, have complained that their vehicles were damaged after using fuel from the unlicensed dealer.

He said: “Some of these black market fuels are mixed with paraffin and they are damaging vehicles. Apart from that, motorists are being attacked while chasing after fuel and productive citizens are spending more hours in queues, depriving the nation of development.”

Kamange called on authorities to take action and address the fuel crisis in the country instead of mere talk.

Malawi Energy Regulatory Authority (Mera) consumer affairs and public relations manager Fitina Khonje yesterday said selling fuel on the black market is illegal and not safe for vehicles as it might be contaminated.

She added that keeping fuel in homes is equally dangerous as it has the potential to cause accidents.

On the way forward on the crisis, Khonje said there were sustainable strategies being worked on to address the fuel challenges.

“We will recover from this situation, but it will be gradual,” she said

For three months now, the country has been experiencing a fuel crisis, especially petrol.

In the face of the prevailing fuel shortage attributed to foreign exchange crisis in the country desperate motorists are being forced to buy fuel, especially petrol, from the parallel market at prices higher than the retail pump prices.

Recommended pump price for diesel is K1 920 per litre and petrol K1 746 per litre, but the black market dealers are demanding between K3 500 and K5 000 for the same quantities.

Phillip Makhalira, a motorist based in Lilongwe, said in an interview yesterday that out of desperation, he bought four litres of petrol at K20 000 to ensure he did not miss a business appointment.

“I had no option. I ended up buying from the black market after spending hours in the queue only to be told the service station had run out of fuel,” he said.

Makhalira accused some service station attendants of feeding or participating in the parallel markets. He alleged that some were selling the fuel at night to black market operators.

Another motorist from Blantyre, who opted for anonymity, said he bought 15 litres of fuel at K45 000 to take his brother to hospital.

In October, police in Nkhata Bay arrested four people for allegedly selling fuel without a trading licence from Mera. Police recovered 471 litres of petrol from the traders.