Afrox engages authorities on forex to ease gas scarcity

Main supplier of industrial, medical and household gases, Afrox Malawi Limited says it has engaged authorities to assist with foreign exchange allocations to finance importation of the products key in hospitals, homes and industry.

The company said in a statement yesterday that the prevailing scarcity is due to forex challenges and has since engaged the Malawi Government and the Reserve Bank of Malawi (RBM) on the same.

Some LPG users on a queue hoping ro refill their cylinders. | Aubrey Mchulu

Reads the statement in part: “These products are essential to hospitals, households, manufacturing, food preservation and businesses across Malawi.

“Afrox is engaging with government, RBM, local banks and other stakeholders regarding the urgent need for foreign exchange allocations to support the continued importation of these critical products.”

Spot checks in Zomba, Blantyre and Lilongwe found that most gas selling points closed while long queues were observed at few major outlets like Afrox Malawi, indicating the worsening crisis.

The situation with liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), which many households are turning to as an alternative to charcoal and other cooking fuels, has been in this state for almost a month, risking reversing the gains realised from its increasing uptake as a source of clean energy.

Renewable Energy Industry Association of Malawi president Brave Mhone said the current situation is difficult because there is no fixed arrangement that supports the industry with forex to ensure sustainable LPG imports.

In an e-mail response, Malawi Energy Regulatory Authority (Mera) consumer affairs and public relations manager Fitina Khonje said LPG supply is affected by forex scarcity which is beyond the regulator’s jurisdiction.

RBM spokesperson Boston Maliketi Banda was not immediately available for comment.

The unreliable availability of LPG comes at a time Malawi has set an ambitious target to transition 75 percent of households to clean cooking by 2030 under the National Energy Compact for 2025 to 2030.

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