Fuel Prices Jump as Tax Relief Ends, Petrol Hits K31.46/Litre

Zambian motorists will pay significantly more for fuel from midnight after the Energy Regulation Board (ERB) approved a sharp increase in pump prices for October 2026.

Petrol will rise from K25.29 to K31.46 per litre, an increase of K6.17.

Diesel will increase from K26.86 to K33.27 per litre, while kerosene will rise from K27.02 to K29.76.

Jet A-1 will also increase from K28.71 to K31.85 per litre.

The new prices take effect at midnight on September 30 and will remain in force until the next scheduled price review.

The ERB attributed the increases to a combination of higher international petroleum prices, the depreciation of the Kwacha and the reinstatement of excise duty.

During the review period, the average international price of petrol increased from US$104.94 to US$121.58 per barrel, while diesel rose from US$150.92 to US$160.88.

The Kwacha also weakened against the United States dollar, moving from K19.28 to K19.76 during the same period.

The latest increase also comes after the expiry of the Government's fuel tax relief measures.

The Government had suspended excise duty and zero-rated Value Added Tax on petroleum products from April to September 2026 in an effort to cushion consumers from rising international prices.

The ERB said those measures helped moderate the increase in pump prices and contributed to Zambia maintaining relatively low fuel prices within the SADC and COMESA regions.

With the tax relief period now over, excise duty has been reinstated from October, while the reinstatement of VAT will take effect from December 1, 2026.

The ERB said the combined impact of the international oil price increases, exchange-rate depreciation and the return of excise duty had made the latest adjustment necessary to safeguard security of supply.

The new prices mean motorists and businesses will enter October facing a substantially higher cost of fuel, with the increase also likely to feed into transport and other operating costs across the economy.