By Aliko Munde

Chitipa, June 3, Mana: Civil Society Organization (CSO) Network in Chitipa District on Monday warned Meru Filling Station and Simama Sugar distributor against selling fuel and sugar, respectively, to vendors who are smuggling the products to Tanzania and Zambia amidst scarcity of the same in the district.

Chitipa CSO Network Chairperson, Patrick Ziba gave the warning after visiting Meru Filling Station and Chitipa Simama Sugar depot to assess the situation on the ground.

Ziba said the CSOs undertook the exercise to appreciate what was happening on the ground for the district to have fuel and sugar scarcity while neighbouring countries have Malawi sugar.

"We visited Meru Filling Station and Chitipa Simama Sugar distributors so that we can have a friendly chat on the scarcity of fuel and sugar amidst availability of these commodities in our neighbouring countries.

“We appealed to these companies to sell to registered Malawian businesses. We are losing a lot of revenue because for example sugar is smuggled to Tanzania and Zambia without getting Value Added Tax (VAT) and other revenues," Ziba said.

Meru Filling Station Manager, Elita Kaseghe thanked the CSOs for visiting their place, saying the scarcity of fuel is because it takes weeks before it is allocated to the Station.

“We do not sell fuel to be smuggled outside the country. When people come with Jerry cans we seek permission from Malawi Energy Regulatory Authority (MERA). But if they are maize mill owners we allow 20 litres of diesel after submitting a business licence,” Kaseghe said.

On her part, Sales and Marketing Manager for Simama Sugar, Beatrice Haonga applauded CSOs for visiting the depot and appreciating how sugar distribution is done.

Haonga said as a sugar distributor, they sell their sugar to registered wholesalers who then sell to retailers.

“We even have plans this month to open outlets at Kapoka, Nthalire and Ifumbo so that business people from those sites have sugar at their doorstep,” Haonga said.