Price of fuel to drop massively on Wednesday
Motorists have celebrated the announcement by the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy that the price of fuel will be going down starting Wednesday 4 January 2023.
The announcement was made via the Twitter page of the DMRE.
The price will be as follows: - Petrol (both 93 and 95 ULP & LRP) will decrease by Two hundred and six cents per litre (206.00 c/l).
Diesel (0.05% sulphur) decrease by Two hundred and sixty eight point one nine cents per litre (268.90 c/l). Diesel (0.005% sulphur) will decrease by Two hundred and eight point one nine cents per litre (280.90 c/l).
Illuminating Paraffin (wholesale) will decrease by One hundred and ninety-three cents per litre (193.00 c/l).
SMNRP for IP will decrease by Two hundred and fifty-eight cents per litre (258.00 c/l).
Maximum LPGas Retail Price will increase by Eighty-two cents per kilogram (82.00 c/kg).
The fuel prices schedule for the different zones will be published on Tuesday, the 3rd of January 2023.
An uber driver Dlamini who spoke to this reporter said the announcement comes as a relief to motorists in the e-hailing taxi services who have been failing to realized meaning profits.
Said Dlamini, “I am excited to hear that there will be a slash in the price of fuel meaning we will be able to get some money and realize some profit that having to work for fuel as has been majority of the cases in the recent past.”
A parent from a Sandton based school said she is happy that her school run budget will be dropping when schools open.
“This comes as a surprise we are not used to having price of fuel going down but going up always,” She said. “Now we will be able to use the other funds for something else since the price will be dropping.”
In South Africa the prices of fuel prices are adjusted every month, informed by international and local factors which include costal price, importation costs etc.
Since April, South Africa has been gripped with a massive fuel shortage crisis which ha s been attributed to the global crisis fueled by the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the Eastern powers fight against the Petrodollar.
Last week there was crisis at the Cape Town and Johannesburg airports when flights were delayed due to shortage of fuel.
The Minister of Transport Fikile Mbalula downplayed the fuel crisis saying it was a technical issue which was resolved.
"I have been in contact with ACSA Management & have been assured there is no fuel shortage at OR Tambo Airport but a technical issue at the storage which has been resolved. Management apologizes for the inconvenience this might have caused; flights will return to normal schedule." He said.
Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) also added on the voice saying they were experiencing challenges with fuel supply from the fuel storage facility to the main hydrant system.
“O.R. Tambo fuel services company (ORTAFS) used manual system through fuel browsers to fuel aircrafts.
“Technicians are onsite and have resolved the issue. They are constantly monitoring the situation. Please note that the airport does not have any fuel shortage the above was a technical problem. We are currently experiencing delays with domestic departures as well as international departures.” The company said in a statement.
