New Alcohol Tax Proposed For South Africa To Assist Road Accident Victims

Drinking and driving is a leading cause of road accidents and related deaths in South Africa, with the Road Traffic Management Corporation RTMC estimating that alcohol is involved in around 27 of road fatalities.

Roadside tests and arrests have always been seen as the main deterrent to this dangerous scourge, but the South African government is now looking at further ways to discourage drinking and driving.

In an interview with Newzroom Afrika , Deputy Transport Minister Mkhuleko Hlengwa said there needed to be a broader conversation about the pricing of alcohol and where its tax levies are directed.

While the Road Accident Fund RAF is currently fed by the fuel tax structure, Hlengwa believes there is a strong argument for a direct RAF charge linked to alcohol sales in South Africa in order to deter the kind of behaviour that we see on the countrys roads.

So if you hit the pocket, you make quite a significant stride towards ensuring that there is a second thought to how people conduct themselves and how they drink their alcohol and where they drink their alcohol, Hlengwa said.