Rising SA fuel prices eroding competitiveness of local businesses – IFP

Rising fuel prices in South Africa are eroding the competitiveness of local companies by adding to the cost of doing business in an already depressed economy, the Inkatha Freedom Party said on Wednesday. File Photo: IOL

JOHANNESBURG  – Rising fuel prices in South Africa are eroding the competitiveness of local companies by adding to the cost of doing business in an already depressed economy, the Inkatha Freedom Party said on Wednesday.

The price for 95 octane petrol increased by 18 cents per litre on Wednesday while that for diesel rose by 25 cents.

“The IFP is worried that rising fuel costs will have a negative impact on SMEs (small and medium enterprises) since most micro enterprises are dependent on hired transport to fetch items from wholesalers and manufacturers,” the party said.

“They must make a series of decisions to sustain their business models as fuel costs impact their supply and overhead expenses. This reduces the competitiveness of the smaller businesses.”

It said rising business costs would likely lead to further retrenchments in a country already grappling with an official unemployment rate of 29 percent.

Source: iol.co.za