Malawi’s energy regulator has hiked petrol and diesel prices by more than 40%, marking the second time fuel costs gone up in four months.In a statement on Tuesday, the Malawi Energy Regulatory Authority (Mera) said the fixed pricing system of the previous government was “unsustainable” and had led to “significant” losses.President Peter Mutharika, who returned to power last year, has been trying to revive Malawi’s ailing economy.However, local commentators said Tuesday’s fuel increase could harm the president’s efforts and worsen the cost-of-living crisis for many Malawians.
“Fuel is not a luxury commodity. Any increase has a cascading effect on the cost of living,” the Human Rights Defenders Coalition, a Malawian civil society group, said.In its statement, Mera said it was increasing diesel prices by 41.3% and petrol prices by 41.9%.
