Budget speech | Economist says Eskom should get money for diesel

JOHANNESBURG - The country will be better off if Eskom gets the money to buy diesel.

That is according to one economist who says doing so will be more economically viable than the impact of power cuts.

READ: Eskom implements indefinite Stage 6 power cuts

Eskom declared in December that they have exceeded the amount of money they had to purchase any more diesel, totalling a whopping R12-billion.

Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana is expected to give details on how government will help Eskom with its diesel funding in his budget statement on Wednesday.

READ: Petro SA, Eskom working on cost of diesel solution

Mamokete Lijane, Absa Macro Strategist, said Eskom is the most efficient diesel burner in the country.

"I think in terms of efficiency if somebody is going to burn diesel because we don't have enough base load it's still the most efficient burn of diesel."