Africa-Press – Malawi. Rights activists under the National Advocacy Platform (NAP) have formally written to President Peter Mutharika, demanding an urgent review of fuel levies that they say are driving up pump prices and pushing ordinary Malawians deeper into hardship.
In a strongly worded letter, NAP is calling on the government to either reduce or temporarily suspend selected fuel levies as an immediate relief measure for struggling households already grappling with a soaring cost of living.
The activists argue that the current pricing structure is not just an economic issue — but a human rights concern.
Signed by NAP Chairperson Benedicto Kondowe and National Coordinator Baxton Nkhoma, the letter warns that rising fuel costs have far-reaching consequences on the enjoyment of socio-economic rights, particularly for vulnerable communities.
“Fuel is a backbone commodity. When its price rises, everything else follows,” the letter states in essence — pointing to ripple effects across transport, food prices, and basic services.
The intervention comes in direct contrast to the government’s hardline stance. Minister of Energy Jean Mathanga recently ruled out any removal of fuel levies, despite similar relief measures being adopted in other countries facing global price shocks triggered by tensions and conflict in the Middle East, including the war involving Iran.
But NAP is not disputing the global reality.
Instead, the activists acknowledge that Malawi, as an import-dependent economy, is exposed to international fuel price volatility. However, they argue that government policy choices — particularly taxation — are amplifying the crisis domestically.
“The state may be justified in adjusting prices in response to global shocks,” the letter notes, “but the burden of that decision is cascading through every sector of the economy, with devastating consequences for the poor.”
The activists go further, questioning whether the government has done enough to shield citizens from external shocks.
They point out that the Price Stabilisation Fund — once designed to cushion such volatility — has been depleted, leaving consumers fully exposed to global price swings without any meaningful buffer.
In response, NAP has tabled 13 recommendations, including the urgent creation of alternative mechanisms to absorb fuel price shocks, alongside fiscal reforms to rebalance the tax burden.
At its core, the letter raises a fundamental question: should government revenue priorities outweigh the immediate survival pressures facing citizens?
With inflation biting, wages stagnant, and transport and food costs climbing, the activists are effectively warning that failure to act risks deepening inequality and social strain.
The ball is now firmly in government’s court — whether to hold the line on revenue collection, or ease the pressure on a population already stretched to its limits.
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