Minister of Mineral and Petroleum Resources Gwede Mantashe says decisions relating to fuel levies and taxes fall under the authority of the National Treasury and not his department.
Mantashe made the remarks while tabling his department’s R2.86 billion budget for the 2026/2027 financial year in Parliament.
He explained that while his department can engage Treasury on issues affecting the fuel price, it does not have the power to directly reduce or increase fuel levies.
“All levies and taxes are the duty of the National Treasury. When I go to ask them to cut levies by R3 a litre, I have to negotiate with them because levies and taxes are the function of the National Treasury,” Mantashe said.
He added that broader discussions are needed on balancing economic development and environmental protection.
“One of the debates that we should have in this House is to counter environment and the economy. Ecology and economy are not opposites. They must complement each other and work together,” he said.
Mantashe argued that economic activity is necessary to generate the resources needed to support environmental sustainability initiatives.