Archive photo of Dr. Mark Burke at Parliament. (Photo: DA/X)
The price of petrol and diesel is likely to rise by more than R5 and R10 per litre, respectively. However, there is currently no parliamentary session scheduled before the price of fuel rises on Wednesday.
The party has now written to the speaker of parliament and requested that parliament sit before 1 April. Dr. Mark Burke, DA MP and the party’s spokesperson on finances, says the rules of the National Assembly make special provision for discussions of national interest. This is why the DA wrote to the speaker – to activate that provision.
“Parliament cannot scale back its term while a massive price shock awaits South Africans,” Burke believes.
The DA already last week requested that fuel charges be cut by 50% for the duration of the crisis or as long as possible in order to provide relief from R3.17 per liter of petrol.
Several other countries have since implemented similar measures, Burke pointed out on Monday. “Namibia, Australia, Spain, Portugal, Vietnam, Brazil have all recently announced various forms of fuel tax relief.” Some of the countries, including Australia, have in fact implemented the exact relief that the DA proposed.
“In South Africa an ANC committee was formed,” Burke points out.
Archive photo of Dr. Mark Burke. (Photo: DA/X)
He says Enoch Godongwana, finance minister, has the necessary means to help South Africans. “Legislation gives him the ability to lower fuel levies without first getting parliament’s approval. Yet last Friday the minister announced new fuel levy increases.
“The president tells us that the finance minister is losing sleep – yet he does nothing. Instead of progress, we see inactivity and decline,” says Burke.
“Money exists to provide relief without new taxes or debt. Government entities with horrendous audit results such as Setas and the Compensation Fund have huge surpluses which the national treasury bizarrely allows them to keep year after year.
“This money could be better used to compensate for lost revenue from fuel charges,” says Burke.
“What is missing is not funds, but political will.”
Burke then points out again that the DA has a plan – a plan that he has already shared with the ANC and is prepared to work with the ANC to help South Africans.
“However, we will not explain to our people why South Africans pay more for fuel when the government has the means to partially protect them. The ANC will have to do that.”
Enoch Godongwana (Photo: GCIS/X)