National Oil Company of Malawi (Nocma) has urged consumers to remain calm amid recent fuel supply stock-outs that hauliers have attributed to delays in loading and clearing at Dar es Salaam Port in Tanzania.
Between Tuesday and on Wednesday, Nocma said there were about 200 tankers expected to arrive on Wednesday evening while 120 more trucks carrying petrol are expected by this weekend.
In the past two weeks, fuel tankers have been stuck in Dar es Salaam due to failure to load the fuel and delays to process clearance documents and delivery notes, according to some transporters.
Besides, some drivers under the Bulk Vehicle Operators (BVO) Trade Union are also said to be refusing to offload fuel at the Nocma storage facilities over metering concerns.
In an interview on Wednesday, Transporters Association of Malawi (TAM) spokesperson Frank Banda said there have been delays in issuance of documentation by Tanzania authorities.
“This led to our trucks being stuck for two weeks. We sent 98 trucks, and 40 trucks loaded last week. However, the documents haven’t been given to the drivers for delivery,” he said.
In a separate interview, BVO general secretary Mathews Sibale said some trucks are stuck in Blantyre, Li longwe, Mzuzu and Chilumba in Karonga because of disagreements about the measurement of the fuel.
However, in a written response to the queries, Nocma spokesperson Raymond Likambale stated that relevant authorities have been facilitating access to foreign exchange, and they continue to pursue additional fuel financing avenues—one such example being the Badea facility.
He said from Tuesday to close of business on Wednesday, about 200 tankers arrived in the country.
Said Likambale: “I am pleased to inform you that it is now fully operational. Just on Tuesday, over 120 petrol trucks were released and in transit. These are expected to arrive in the country by the weekend.
“Fuel importation is a continuous process. As such, it is difficult to provide static stock levels at any given moment, as deliveries are ongoing while fuel is simultaneously being distributed.”
On concerns by drivers regarding metering, Likambale said such issues are the jurisdiction of the Malawi Bureau of Standards and as Nocma, they ensure full compliance with all procedures set by the bureau.
Nocma data shows that Malawi uses 1.05 million litres each for diesel and petrol per day.
The country spends $600 million (about K1 trillion) on fuel importation per year, according to the Reserve Bank of Malawi. In total, the country needs $3 billion to
