EFF ‘reviewing’ court ruling on fuel levy
The Economic Freedom Fighters says it is still reviewing the
court outcome on its bid to halt the fuel levy increase.
On Tuesday, the Western Cape High Court dismissed the party's urgent application to stop the hike from taking effect at midnight.
The increases of 16 cents per litre on petrol and 15 cents on diesel were proposed during the tabling of the revised budget in May.
READ: Fuel levy hike takes effect on Wednesday
https://www.ecr.co.za/news/news/slight-drop-june-fuel-prices/
The EFF's Omphile Maotwe says any taxation must be subject to a vote of members of Parliament.
"We will continue to fight in the committee and also go to the two houses. The National Council of Provinces and the NA [National Assembly] still disagree with the minister because this is not how he should exercise his powers. We will stand on the side of the poor because this has got a very huge socio-economic impact on our people"
Advocate Kameel Premhid was the Treasury's senior counsel.
"They can't hook all their submissions on the fact that just because the fuel levy increase is going to be increased and it raises revenue for the government in terms of the budget, that makes it a tax,” he told the court.
"The constitutional court told you that that kind of thing is entirely permissible. The opposite is also true. If the dominant purpose is to raise revenue, then the charge would ordinarily be attacked.”
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