THE IFP in KZN has expressed concern over rising fuel costs, saying it will have a negative impact on especially small and micro enterprises since they are dependent on hired transport to fetch items from wholesalers and manufacturers.
IFP KZN spokesperson on economic development, Otto Kunene, said if nothing was done to prevent the rising business costs, further retrenchments were a possibility.
‘This is a worrying factor, considering that the economy has already experienced a number of workforce retrenchments in various sectors over the past months, adding to the already high levels of unemployment.
‘Companies that are focused on delivery and transportation are often heavily impacted by the fuel price increases.
‘In addition, commercial farmers who rely on diesel for production, could be forced to scale down their farming activities, thus also putting pressure on food prices.
Kunene said his party was concerned about the the ripple effect it is bound to have on the prices of goods and services.
‘We call upon the government to find ways to cushion the effects of the high fuel costs on the citizens of our country and speed up efforts to grow the economy of our country,’ said Kunene.
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