Diesel increase lower after department’s mistake

(Photo: Mariska Nanni / Maroela Media)

The price increase for diesel is lower than initially announced after the Department of Minerals and Petroleum Resources corrected an error in its calculation of the fuel prices for May.

The department has just issued an erratum in which it confirms that the increase in the wholesale price of diesel will be R5.27 per litre, and not R6.19 per liter as previously announced.

The error arose when the additional reduction of 93c per liter in the fuel levy on diesel was incorrectly recorded as 0.93c per litre. This led to a higher increase in the wholesale price of diesel.

Maroela Media reported earlier that South Africans have already drastically adjusted their spending on fuel and their driving habits in response to the latest huge increases in fuel prices.

According to the corrected adjustment, the following increases take effect:

• Petrol 93 and 95 rise by R3.27 per litre.
• Diesel with 0.05% sulfur rises by R5.27 per litre.
• Diesel with 0.005% sulfur also rises by R5.27 per litre.
• Paraffin’s wholesale price rises by R4.22 per litre.
• Paraffin’s retail price rises by R5.63 per litre.
• The maximum retail price of LP gas increases by R5.07 per kg in Gauteng and R5.78 per kg in the Western Cape.

“The error is highly regrettable and the department apologizes for any inconvenience it may have caused prior to the fuel price adjustment,” the statement said.

The department says it remains committed to providing timely, accurate and transparent information to the public and all stakeholders.