TRANSPORT OWNERS: UNEXPLAINED 40 CENTS LEVY DAYLIGHT ROBBERY

MANZINI – Public transport owners are crying foul, alleging daylight robbery as the destination of approximately E0.40 per litre within the fuel price structure remains unexplained.

According to the public transport owners, when the government implemented the E0.40 fuel levy for the Roads Authority - a mechanism intended to improve the effectiveness of the country’s road infrastructure maintenance - fuel prices had dropped by about E0.80 in neighbouring South Africa.

They argued that after the ministry had implemented the E0.40 fuel levy, which they had strongly opposed from the beginning, fuel prices should have dropped by at least E0.40 locally, reflecting the portion of the South African decrease not offset by the new levy.

The public transport operators said E0.40 per litre represents a significant cost in their business because a business owner who buys 120 000 litres of fuel for their fleet loses about E48 000 due to this component alone.

They said they need public transport owners who are prepared to take a stand for the sake of their businesses, as they require returns on their investment too. They believe they have a right to benefit from fuel price decreases when they occur internationally.

Exchange rate

Meanwhile, the Communications Officer in the Ministry of Natural Resources and Energy, Sikelela Khoza, said while both countries are affected by the same factors, namely the US Dollar exchange rate and international crude oil prices, not every fuel price adjustment (either increase or decrease) in South Africa affects emaSwati, because the Eswatini Government has its own fuel management system.

He said sometimes government cushions fuel price increases through the use of the Strategic Oil Reserve Fund. He added that not long ago, fuel prices increased in South Africa, but government cushioned emaSwati through the fund.

He stated the reason for this is that South Africa is more directly affected by market prices as it does not have the same cushioning system that Eswatini has.

On another note, some public transport operators questioned whether the Roads Authority has actually been set up and if it has a dedicated bank account where the E0.40 per litre fuel levy will be deposited.

They said they wonder if government can state and show them how much has been collected so far from the levy.

Meanwhile, efforts to get a comment from the Communications Officer in the Ministry of Public Works and Transport, Sandziso Malinga, proved futile, as by the time of compiling this report yesterday evening, he had not responded to a questionnaire sent to him at 3:07pm.

Some of the key questions he was asked included ascertaining if the Roads Authority has been set up and whether there is a specific bank account for the authority, particularly for the E0.40 per litre levy which government has reportedly been collecting since April 4, 2025.

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