The cargo carrying fuel- photo by Benjamin Maona

As the country grapples against fuel shortage, Petroleum Importers Limited (PIL), a consortium of four oil marketing companies, has imported one million litres of diesel through Cargo train from the port of Nacala in Mozambique.

The consignment arrived at Blantyre Train Station on Monday morning with the hope to ease shortage of fuel in the country for the next weeks.

PIL general manager, Martin Msimuko briefed the media after receiving the new consignment where he assured the public of their efforts to import more fuel using various means.

Msimuko-We will bring more-photo by Benjamin Maona

“We are liaising with banks to help us with more forex so that we are able to bring more in the next few weeks. Last week we brought in 1.9 litres of diesel, plus today’s one million it means we have imported 2.9 million litres,” he said

Msimuko further said PIL will continue importing into the country 4.8 million litres of petrol which have already been secured with suppliers using the letters of credit (LCs) starting this week.

“We have in the past four days been able to source 2 million litres of petrol with support from the same banks and we continue to receive 4.8 million litres of petrol this week.”

Train cargo carrying diesel-photo by Benjamin Maona

“We also believe that by bringing fuel by train we are able to bring huge volumes at once as you can see we have been able to bring in one million litres. If we had used trucks the carbon emissions would have been much higher than using the train as we have done. And we believe that bringing fuel through rail is efficient, nowadays it only takes a maximum of 48 hours to move wagons from Nacala to Blantyre. It used to take longer in the past. This has helped to reduce the losses that were being experienced at the depots,” he explained.

Nacala Logistics used 25 diesel wagons to bring in the 1 million litres of diesel in the country.

Malawi has been experiencing fuel shortages due to lack of forex to import the commodity into the country.

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