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SA consumers in for a rough ride - AA


The Automobile Association said that South Africans could be in for a rough ride, with the price of petrol going up at midnight on Tuesday and more price hikes on the horizon.

The Department of Energy last week announced that the price of all grades of petrol will go up by 72 and 69 cents a litre, while all grades of diesel go up y 65 cents a litre.

Illuminating paraffin will increase by two cents a litre.

AA spokesperson, Layton Beard, said that going into April there has been quite a significant fuel price increase.

"We've seen 52 cents being added to the fuel price and that is for the general fuel levy and the Road Accident Fund levy.  And, that is on top of the other fuel prices that have been made throughout March going into April," he said.

"So, 72cents onto the fuel price is quite a steep increase and in our opinion, if the international petroleum prices don't decline in the next couple of weeks we could be seeing another fuel price increase going into May," Beard said.

In an interview with Algoa FM News on Tuesday, Beard said its the poor who are going to bear the brunt of the fuel price hikes, coupled with the increase in Value Added Tax.

"Public transport prices may increase as a result of these fuel increases as operators try and recover their money.  And, unfortunately, those increases will be passed on to consumers and commuters," Beard said.

"I think consumers are in for quite a rough ride.  We've seen an increase in VAT and I think coupled with that the fuel prices are coming at quite a bad time for certain consumers.  Certainly, it's going to be hard going for a lot of people in the coming weeks and months," he said.