2 posts tagged “gas”
This from this morning's Eastern Cape newspaper Daily Dispatch:
A QUARTER of the petrol price will be taxes and levies when May’s 55c per litre increase takes effect from midnight tonight.
Tomorrow’s increase includes a 20c per litre increase in the “slate levy”, a new 1.5c “incremental inland transport recovery” levy, and a 2.5c increase in “service cost recovery”.
This extra 24c per litre is in addition to April’s 6c increase in the fuel levy, plus 5c extra in road accident fund contributions. (Full story here)
With the power crisis and the fuel crisis well under way, I think it is iniquitous that the government adds even more to our burden. It really should have imposed this at a more appropriate time.
Consider how different the situation is in New Zealand. There they are also, like all countries, experiencing high fuel prices. However, the approach is completely different.
This is how the New Zealand Herald reported it today:
Auckland transport chiefs are easing back the throttle on plans to impose a special regional fuel tax of 5c a litre from January to pay for electric trains and improved bus and ferry services.
They are now having to contemplate a far gentler regime, starting at 1c a litre in July next year.
The reason given?
Disclosing the compromise yesterday, Auckland Regional Council chairman Mike Lee said it was in recognition of the pain being faced by motorists by successive rises in fuel prices ahead of a range of new imposts. (Full story here)
Two governments, two attitudes.
The petrol price here in South Africa is going to rise to a new record on 5 December, smashing the old record high convincingly.
The price of petrol in Gauteng, the province in which I live, will rise 43c a litre to R7.47. The most it has ever been in the past was R7.24. That was in June this year.
At the coast, where most of my family live, the price is increasing 43c a litre to R7.23, also a record high for them.
Time to put heavy curbs on driving.
