Thursday, November 09, 2006

Price fixing



I learned something interesting about fuel stations here when I asked Graham why none of the stations had prices posted on the road. I was curious how he could choose a station without knowing the prices. He explained that the price of gas is set nation-wide by the government, new prices change the first Wednesday of the month and are announce the week before. The stations must differentiate themselves by their service, or how clean they are kept. All the stations have uniformed attendants that wash your windows and check your levels. There are no rules or laws preventing you from pumping your own, but to do so would deprive someone of a job and lead to a rise in unemployment. In a country where more than 20% are unemployed, every job helps to keep the economy from tanking.

1 comment:

Ladybug Mommy Maria said...

Very interesting!

I would sure like MY gas pumped for me by a polite and uniformed attendant!

Interesting posts about your experiences in SA. Found you through Cay at Cajun Cottage Under the Oaks.