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Service stations selling paraffin at a loss

Service station owners in the country have accused the Malawi Energy Regulatory Authority (Mera) of forcing them to sell paraffin for domestic use at a loss without giving them any safety net.

Mera recently announced that service stations should buy diesel at wholesale price of K421.57 per litre, petrol is K417.31 and paraffin K347.21.

The energy regulatory body advised services stations to sell petrol at K441.10 per litre, diesel at K445.60, paraffin for domestic use at K171 while that for industrial use at K367 per litre.

“We are worried with the price of paraffin for domestic use. We cannot be forced to sell a product at a loss and this is inconveniencing people who use paraffin for domestic purposes because we are selling it at K367 per litre instead of K171,” said one of the owners of service stations in Lilongwe who opted for anonymity.

Josephy Nyika, a paraffin buyer from Ntandile in Lilongwe, complained that ordinary people are being victimised despite assurances from government that they will be buying the commodity at a lower price.

But Mera spokeperson Edward Mponda confirmed the anomaly, but was quick to say his organisation will soon advise how the service stations can recoup the lost revenues.

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