malawi

GOVERNMENT HALTS PRICE RISES Wow - clap, clap, clap! Have these price control measures ever worked anywhere? There are countless examples to the contrary, yet here we are. The exchange rate set by the Reserve Bank of Malawi (this is a whole different topic) coupled with a de-facto fuel price…

Reason has prevailed to some degree it seems, after a more restrictive and more draconian law was passed last year, regulating foreign exchange. The banks took this issue to court, after it had passed through parliament. How could this pass parliamentary scrutiny? #forex #malawi #natbank…

WAITING FOR FUEL - Blanytre, Malawi A scene from downtown Blantyre today - the CBD at a stand still with vehicles waiting for fuel at a filling station and well beyond. When forex is in short supply, we cannot afford to pay for fuel imports. Without the price adjusting upwards, the demand…

More fuel chaos in Malawi. We don't have the forex to pay for imports including and especially fuel, but also other commodities. Fuel makes up a big chunk of the import costs and it is where we first see the problem on the streets. Over the years, our

Recent Fuel Shortages in Mzuzu are witness to the dire Forex shortage in Malawi. When we consistently consume more than we produce, ultimately the chickens come home to roost. Short term "bail out" loans can only do so much and they are... well, temporary measures. We need to

Recent Fuel Shortages in Mzuzu are witness to the dire Forex shortage in Malawi. When we consistently consume more than we produce, ultimately the chickens come home to roost. Short term "bail out" loans can only do so much and they are... well, temporary measures. We need to

"Malawi is in a fiscal crisis which requires an urgent move away from business as usual to address the precarious state of public finances."

Another fuel crisis in Malawi. These are a part of daily life now. The price is secondary when there is no product. For those that have fuel, it is a bliss to drive on the uncongested roads, the others have to wait in line or buy from questionable sources. Productive…

It is fascinating how Africa is still a white space on the World Map. Or have we come full circle and are ahead now? We have another fuel crisis in Malawi. #malawi #africa…

Apparently even SpaceX's Starlink is affected by the country's critical forex shortages. Rather than promote exports, the government reverts to suppressing price increases, which generally backfires, as goods become either scarce or unavailable.

This Daily Times clipping mandates a maximum price of K0.27 for a beer. Today the same beer costs about K4,000 in a hotel. Apparently even in this distant past, the government knew better and thought it wise to interfere with the economy, yet the price of a beer…

Ethiopian Airlines has suspended ticketing in Malawi (again). The financial situation is progressively deteriorating in the country due to the unsustainable trade deficit. #malawi #forex #trade #iata…

The staple food in Malawi is refined white maize. It's price increase is more moderate than that of imported goods, as it is locally produced and often at a subsistence (read labour intensive) level. More than half of Malawi's CPI is made up of food (most