Malawi Government has rehabilitated and opened Chipoka and Mchinji fuel reserves with an aim of preventing a repeat of 2011/2012 fuel shortage.
Speaking during the opening ceremony at Chipoka in Salima yesterday, Minister of Energy Ibrahim Matola said the fuel reserves will play a great role to Malawi’s economy.
Matola said: “Fuel is of strategic importance to the economy of the country. Without fuel a country cannot move. Therefore, with these rehabilitated facilities, transport sector and many other sectors will rarely face fuel shortages. These facilities are able to keep fuel to run the country for two days.”
Matola also said government is planning to construct three more reserves in all the three regions.
“We will construct more reserves to ensure that Malawians have fuel all the time. The construction of one of these reserves has already started at Sonda in Mzuzu. The other two reserves will be constructed at Kanengo and Matindi in Lilongwe and Blantyre, respectively,” said Matola.
The fuel reserves will be operated by the newly established National Oil Company of Malawi (Nocma).
Matola said Nocma will also ensure that there is increasing competition among traders of fuel.
According to Matola, government has used about K500 million (US$1 228 501) which was collected locally to rehabilitate the fuel reserves.
