Statement by Dr Mark Burke MP – DA Spokesperson on Finance:
Fuel prices will likely surge by over R5 and R10 a litre for petrol and diesel respectively. Yet Parliament is winding down its term. No sittings of the House are currently scheduled before prices increase on 1 April.
The DA has written to the Speaker of the National Assembly to ask the House to reconvene before 1 April. The National Assembly rules make special provision for discussions of national importance – the DA has written to trigger this provision. Parliament cannot wind down its term while a massive price shock awaits South Africans.
This follows an earlier request from the DA to slash fuel levies in half for the duration of the crisis or as long as possible and thereby provide R3.17 in relief per litre of petrol.
A number of other countries have already acted. Namibia, Australia, Spain, Portugal, Vietnam, Brazil have all recently announced various forms of fuel tax relief, some of them implement exactly the best practice relief the DA proposed. Whereas in South Africa, we’ve formed an ANC committee.
The Minister of Finance has both the means and the method to help South Africans. Legislation gives him the ability to slash fuel levies without first getting Parliament’s approval. Yet on Friday past, the Minister gazetted new fuel levy increases. We’re told by the president that the Finance Minister is losing sleep – yet he takes no action. Instead of progress we’re seeing inaction and regression.
Money exists to provide relief without new taxes or debt. State entities with atrocious audit results such as SETAs and the Compensation Fund run large surpluses that National Treasury bizarrely allows them to keep year after year. This money can better be used to compensate for lost fuel levy revenue.
The spending review can be given more teeth and ghost worker audits can be extended to our municipalities and hundreds of state entities. What’s missing is not funds, it’s political will.
The DA has a plan. It has shared its plan and is willing to work with the ANC to help South Africans. However, we will not explain to our people why South Africans are paying more for fuel when the government has the means to partially shield them. That will be up to the ANC.