Africa-Press – Malawi. The Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) has issued a blunt and uncompromising challenge to the Malawi Government, demanding immediate and practical measures to tame the spiraling cost of living, warning that patience among ordinary citizens is rapidly wearing thin.
HRDC Chairperson Michael Kaiyatsa said the recent fuel price hike has pushed already struggling households to the brink, accusing authorities of failing to shield Malawians from predictable economic shocks.
According to Kaiyatsa, government cannot continue to pass the full burden of global fuel price increases onto citizens without deploying safeguards.
“The situation is now unbearable for most Malawians, but government still has clear and practical options to cushion the impact,” he said.
At the top of HRDC’s demands is the urgent restoration and proper capitalization of the Price Stabilization Fund—a mechanism Kaiyatsa argues has been neglected at the expense of consumers.
Without such a buffer, he warned, every global price fluctuation is directly transferred to the public, with devastating consequences for already fragile household incomes.
But HRDC did not stop there.
In a pointed and politically charged proposal, Kaiyatsa called on government to immediately review—and temporarily scrap or significantly reduce—taxes and levies on fuel, describing them as a major driver of the current economic pain.
“Government needs to review and temporarily reduce taxes and levies on fuel during this difficult period,” he said, adding that even short-term relief would have a direct and meaningful impact on inflation and consumer prices.
He further took aim at systemic inefficiencies within the fuel supply chain, calling out what he described as a lack of transparency and discipline in fuel procurement and foreign exchange allocation.
Kaiyatsa warned that avoidable delays, artificial shortages, and speculative pricing are not just administrative failures—but contributors to the suffering of ordinary Malawians.
“In addition, there is a serious need to improve transparency and efficiency in fuel procurement and forex allocation,” he said.
As pressure mounts, HRDC is also pushing for an expansion of social protection programmes, including cash transfers and targeted assistance to vulnerable households who are bearing the brunt of the crisis.
The message from the rights body is clear: without urgent, decisive, and people-centered action, the economic situation will deteriorate further.
“Malawians need both immediate relief and long-term reforms. Without decisive action, the cost-of-living crisis will continue to deepen, and the burden will remain on ordinary citizens who are already stretched to the limit,” Kaiyatsa warned.
The statement places government squarely on the spot—forcing a choice between maintaining current fiscal measures or responding to growing public anger over an economy that many feel is slipping out of reach.
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