The Department of Mineral Resources and Energy has apologised for miscalculating the December 2021 fuel price.
In a statement on earlier today, it said the price of both grades of petrol will increase by 75 cents, instead of the 81 cents that was previously announced.
The department said the six cent difference was due to the fact that the wage adjustment for service station workers, which was already implemented in September, had been mistakenly added to the December fuel price calculation.
“Although it is for the very first time that such an error has occurred in the history of basic fuel price determination in South Africa, the DMRE profusely apologises for the inconvenience caused. The rest of the fuel prices are correct,” the department said.
However, the Automobile Association has called upon the department to rectify the situation, given that the error has already caused people to pay higher prices for fuel.
“The error by the DMRE validates the AA’s call that a total review of the fuel price, and an audit of all the processes and components which comprise the fuel price, is necessary,” the AA added.