The Malawi Energy Regulatory Authority (Mera) has temporarily closed Salima turn-off Petroda service station in Lilongwe for alleged unfair trading of fuel.

This comes barely few days Mera temporarily closed a filling station in Lilongwe for the same allegation of unfair trade of the scarce commodity.

According to a statement signed by Mera’s Chief Executive Officer, Henry Kachaje, it is alleged that a fuel attendant was fueling jerry cans, overcharging customers and collecting tips for the customers to be fueled in jerry cans.

Reads the statement: “Our investigation confirmed that your attendant for Mr. Arafat Mustafa was overcharging customers and demanding tips for them to be sold fuel in jerry-cans at the above-named services station. This undermines efforts to equitable distribution and access of fuel to the public and it is a violation of the Liquid Fuel Gas (production and supply) Act.”

At that through the exercise of powers as enshrined in the section 23 of Liquid Fuel Gas (production and supply) Act and regulation 11 of the Act, Mera has suspended the operations of the filling station with immediate effect.

Mera’s CEO, Henry Kachaje, says the closure is for 14 days and opening of the filling station will be subject to satisfactory of measures put in place to avoid recurrence of the malpractice.

The Authority has also given the station 7 days to furnish its offices with a written report.

Few days ago, Mera also temporarily closed Murray Road Total filling station on the same allegation of overcharging customers.

These developments come at a time the country is faced with a shortage of fuel crisis due to shortage of foreign currency.