The retail price of petrol will increase by 50 cents a litre (c/l) on Wednesday next week, according to a statement from the Department of Minerals and Energy on Friday.
This follows the 55c/l increase last month.
The price of unleaded petrol in Gauteng thereby increases to R9,96 a litre, and to R9,72 at the coast.
Diesel 0,05% sulphur goes up by 71 cents, 0,005% by 70 cents and wholesale paraffin by 71 cents. Illuminating paraffin shoots up by 94 cents.
Diesel in Gauteng now costs R10,80 a litre, and R10,66 at the coast.
Currently certain petrol pumps in South Africa are restricted to displaying a three-digit maximum price of R9,99 per litre. As the petrol price will increase in a number of fuel-pricing zones to a four-digit number (i.e. R10,00 or more per litre) on June 4 2008, the affected dispensers will no longer be able to display the full price accurately.
The retail prices of petrol per litre on the affected pumps (dispensers that cannot display a four-digit price) will be marked at a tenth of the official price per litre, which will be promulgated in the Government Gazette by the Department of Minerals and Energy.
This means that both the price-per-litre and the price-to-pay displays will need to be multiplied by ten at the affected dispensers. A ”X10” will be attached to petrol pumps at both the price-per-litre and total-amount-to-pay indications.
During the period under review, the average international product prices of petrol, diesel and illuminating paraffin increased.
The average rand/dollar exchange rate strengthened when compared with the previous period. The average exchange rate for the period April 30 to May 29 2008 was 7,6434, compared to 7,8446 during the previous period. — Reuters