The Automobile Association (AA) has called for an effective strategy from government that will help deal with the perpetual fuel price increases. This follows an announcement by the Energy Department that the price of petrol will increase by between R1.08 and R1. 14 per litre from midnight tonight.
The department says diesel will increase by between R1. 93 and R1. 96 per litre.
Illuminating paraffin goes up by R1. 51. The AA’s Layton Beard says this is unacceptable.
“These increases are going to hit all consumers hard and they come at a time when most South Africans are feeling extreme financial pressure. It remains concerning, however, that in the face of these increases, the government remains silent on its plans, if there are any, on a way forward to deal more effectively with fuel price increases.”
Meanwhile, Cosatu has slammed the fuel price increases, saying workers and the poor cannot take any more economic pressure.
Cosatu’s Matthew Parks, “This is bad news for an economy that is already bleeding and workers are struggling to take care of their families. It might push inflation to increase again and this may cause the Reserve Bank to increase the repo rate causing further hardships for the working class, businesses and the economy. The huge levels of fuel price increases in the past year and a half have created real hardships for the economy as has the accompanying levels of an increase in inflation. Workers are drowning in debt and are struggling to take care of their families. The wage is not keeping pace with the level of price increases. Government needs to act quickly to reduce the 28% taxes on the current fuel price regime.”
