Campaigners wanting to see lower fuel prices in South Africa should call on the public to use fuel more efficiently, rather than inviting the public to join a “national campaign to reduce the petrol price” by boycotting certain petrol products, according to the South Africa Petroleum Industry Association (Sapia).
Sapia director Colin McClelland said in a statement on Thursday that there is currently an e-mail “chain letter” doing the rounds that promotes a boycott campaign.
The letter argues that if the products of certain petrol marketers are not bought by large sections of the public, then those marketers will need to reduce their prices — in turn meaning that other marketers will also need to cut their prices.
“This campaign fails to recognise that the current high prices of petrol is a reflection of high prices of oil in world markets, due to high global demand for oil,” McClelland noted.
“It also does not take into account that in terms of the regulatory system that applies to petrol in South Africa, marketers are not able to reduce their prices. Thus any expectations of significantly lower prices are unfounded.”
Rather, he said, Sapia recommends that those seeking to contain the impact of high fuel costs should call on the public to use fuel efficiently, thereby saving money, protecting the environment and contributing to lower prices by containing demand.
This will be a more sensible approach and is one that Sapia has been recommending to petroleum product users for many years.
“Our annual reports, available on www.sapia.co.za, contain fuel-saving tips,” he added.
“The Department of Minerals and Energy and most Sapia member companies also have such tips available to assist motorists and other fuel users to save money. Sapia and its member companies have been at the forefront of seeking more efficient use of fuels.
“Fuel-efficient driving will also contribute to greater road safety,” he concluded. — I-Net Bridge