LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-The Human Rights Consultative Committee (HRCC) has described the recent 41 percent fuel pump price hike as clear evidence of regulatory failure, calling for former board members of the Malawi Energy Regulatory Authority (MERA) to be held accountable for massive financial losses and mismanagement in the energy sector.
Addressing the news conference on Friday, January 23, 2026, HRCC Board Chairperson Robert Mkwezalamba and Board Member Desmond Mhango on behalf of the organisation’s leadership and its network of civil society organisations, was released on Friday in Lilongwe.
Mkwezalamba said the sharp increase in fuel prices has exposed deep rooted governance and oversight failures within MERA, which government ministers themselves have publicly acknowledged.
The organisation said these failures have had severe economic and human rights consequences for ordinary Malawians.
According to HRCC, government disclosures indicate that MERA accumulated debts running into trillions of kwacha, while regulatory incompetence contributed to losses of nearly MK1 trillion at the National Oil Company of Malawi (NOCMA).
Petroleum Importers Limited (PIL) is also reported to have suffered losses estimated at close to K200 billion.
The committee further noted that MERA depleted the Price Stabilization Fund (PSF) and the Malawi Rural Electrification Programme (MAREP) levy, while weak pricing, oversight and governance decisions worsened the fuel supply crisis and ultimately triggered the steep pump price adjustment.
HRCC said these revelations are unprecedented and demand urgent accountability, especially because the burden of regulatory failure has been transferred directly to citizens through higher fuel prices and rising costs of living.
The organisation recalled that on 9 October 2025, the Chief Secretary to the Government informed Parliament’s Public Appointments Committee (PAC) of the removal of MERA board members under Section 8(1) of the Energy Regulation Act due to serious governance and regulatory failures.
However, instead of appearing before PAC to answer the allegations, the board members chose to resign.
HRCC described the resignations as deeply troubling, arguing that stepping down does not erase responsibility for decisions taken while in office.
The committee warned that allowing resignation to shield public officials from scrutiny would set a dangerous precedent and weaken accountability across all statutory bodies.
The committee said the fuel price hike goes beyond a technical policy issue and constitutes a human rights and governance matter, noting that fuel prices directly affect the cost of food, transport and essential goods, as well as access to health services, education, water and emergency response.
HRCC has called on the Public Appointments Committee to summon former MERA board members, urged the National Audit Office to conduct a forensic audit of MERA, and appealed to oversight and law enforcement institutions to investigate possible wrongdoing.
HRCC said Malawians should not be punished through fuel price hikes for failures they did not cause, stressing that public office is a public trust and accountability must outlive resignation, removal or political conv