Swazi fuel consumption spirals

Inexpensive vehicle imports reshape the country JAMES HALL
MBABANE – Swaziland consumed over 10% more petrol in the first ten months of 2006 compared to the previous year, confirming at the pump the rise in commercial trucks and passenger cars on the roads. “Inexpensive trucks and cars imported from Asia are reshaping the country. Rising fuel demand is one aspect. This will negatively affect Swaziland’s trade balance,” said a source with the Central Bank of Swaziland. Swaziland imports all its petroleum products from South Africa. About 200 million litres of petrol were consumed between January and October 2006, 22 million more than during the same period in 2005. “As a road freight hauler, we’re also using more petrol. Our bill was up in 2006, not just because of the rise in petrol price but because of the increased volumes we purchased,” said the managing director of a road transport company based at the Matsapha Industrial Estate. He declined to give his name because it is company policy not to release sales data, and a rise in fuel consumption would lead his rivals to draw conclusions about his business, he said. Most – if not all – road freight companies at Matsapha contacted by FTW said their fuel consumption was up in 2006. Because the transportation sector is considered a bellwether of the economy’s performance, the fuel consumption indicator might spell good news for a troubled economy.