Malawian households spent 14.3 per cent more on getting around in September after fuel ran short at filling stations late in the month, the Employers Consultative Association of Malawi (Ecam) has found, AllAfrica reports.
Ecam's latest cost-of-living analysis puts average monthly transport spending at K160,000 in September, up from K140,000 in August, as shortages at filling stations pushed fares higher. The study links the rise directly to the fuel scarcity.
The extra K20,000 a month is money that would otherwise go on food, rent, school fees and other necessities. The report says low-income workers who depend on public transport, parents taking children to school and small traders are hit hardest, and that businesses facing higher distribution costs tend to pass them on, adding to wider price pressures.
Source: AllAfrica
