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While political parties have largely welcomed the fuel price relief announced by Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana on Wednesday, the African Transformation Movement (ATM) has criticised the National Treasury for the piecemeal approach to deal with rising transport costs.

The price of petrol will come down by R1.50 per litre next month, and R1 in December by reducing the general fuel levy.

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FULL SPEECH | Medium term budget policy statement

The diesel price, on the other hand, will be slashed by R3 per litre in November, and R1.50 the following month.

It will be the second time this year that the National Treasury reduces the fuel levy to counter the cost of soaring oil prices.

But ATM Parliamentary Leader Vuyo Zungula said that this R10-billion intervention is only a temporary relief for a longer-term problem.

“If the fuel pricing structure has not been changed and has not been altered, we are still going to be in the same place six months from now. Hence, our proposal is that if you look at the fuel price, huge chunks of that amount comes from levies and domestic taxes, of which the government could find alternative means of raising that money, including dealing with the illicit trade in the fuel sector, where there is about R10 billion lost.”

Meanwhile, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) is questioning the timing of this latest intervention, saying the ANC is using it as an election ploy ahead of next month’s local government polls.

The party’s spokesperson and member of Parliament (MP), Sinawo Thambo, said that Parliament and not the National Treasury should be deciding on raising and slashing taxes.

“As the EFF principally, we’ve always said that Parliament should be the institution that decides on taxation, be it upwards or downwards. So a lot of South Africans will be relieved today on the basis that the Minister of Finance has decreased the fuel levy by R3, but that can be adversely done the next day by just increasing it arbitrarily without any Parliamentary approval.”

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