Cape Town, South Africa (PANA) – A hike in petrol prices which came into effect on Wednesday saw South African motorists paying 74 cents more per litre of petrol and between 91 and 93 cents more per litre of diesel.
Ironically, the hike came just a day after government’s announcement that the economy grew by 1.4% in the fourth quarter of 2018.
There are concerns that the increase will have a negative impact on every South African, particularly the poor, eating into their already diminished transport budgets.
According to Finance minister Tito Mboweni, South Africans must brace themselves for yet another fuel increase of 29 cents owing to government’s raising of taxes on fuel from 1 April.
The official opposition Democratic Alliance on Wednesday said government has continually used the fuel levy to top up an ineffectual, corrupt and mismanaged treasury that has wasted billions of Rands on problematic state-owned entities.
“The 59 billion Rand (US$4.8 billion) used by the ANC government to bail out these state-owned entities could be used to reduce the tax on fuel,” said DA MP Kevin Mileham who added that his party will continue to fight for a stable and smooth fuel price mechanism that will benefit all South Africans.
–0– PANA CU/AR 6Mar2018
