President of the People’s Development Party (PDP), Kondwani Nankhumwa, has strongly condemned the latest fuel price increase, describing it asunprecedented, reckless and a direct economic assault on ordinary Malawians. The Malawi Energy Regulatory Authority (MERA) this week raised the pump price of petrol from K3,499 to K4,965 per litre, while diesel has gone up from K3,500 to K4,945 per litre — a jump of over 40 percent for both products. In a statement issued on Wednesday, Nankhumwa warned that the decision will trigger a dangerous chain reaction across the economy, worsening the already unbearable cost of living.
“This scale of fuel price increase is unprecedented and deeply troubling. It is an economic shock that will push transport costs, food prices and production expenses even higher, at a time when Malawians are already struggling to survive,” Nankhumwa said. Nankhumwa criticised government’s decision to reintroduce the automatic fuel pricing mechanism, arguing that it has exposed Malawians to global market shocks without any form of protection.
“The explanation that fuel prices will now be determined by global supply and demand offers little comfort to Malawians who are being left without cushioning from unbearable price shocks,” he said. He noted that the latest hike is thesecond in just three months, following the October 1, 2025 adjustment when petrol rose from K2,530 to K3,499 per litre and diesel from K2,734 to K3,500 per litre. According to Nankhumwa, this means that cumulatively, petrol prices have increased byabout 96 percentand diesel byaround 81 percentwithin a very short period.
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The PDP leader said the fuel hike cannot be viewed in isolation, arguing that it forms part of a broader pattern of what he termedeconomic punishment of citizens. He pointed to other recent price adjustments, including increased electricity tariffs, proposed water tariff hikes, doubled tollgate fees, a rise in Value Added Tax, new financial transaction levies, and PAYE changes that have reduced workers’ take-home pay. “These measures amount to a broader pattern of economic assault on ordinary citizens.
Households and businesses are already struggling, and these decisions will only worsen the cost of living,” he said. Nankhumwa also warned that high fuel prices will inevitably raise transport costs, food prices and the cost of doing business, pushing more Malawians into poverty. Quoting the Consumers Association of Malawi (CAMA), Nankhumwa said government must stop behaving like a business enterprise that simply passes every burden to consumers.
“A near-100 percent fuel price increase within three months amounts to an economic onslaught on ordinary Malawians. Government is not a business and citizens are not customers,” he said.
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