CONSUMERS STILL DEEP IN DEBT

CONSUMER debt will remain high despite the upcoming drop in fuel prices, a debt counsellor said yesterday. “The drop in the retail price of petrol of 45 cents a litre on Wednesday will bring welcome relief to deeply indebted South Africans, but the overall indebtedness of consumers remains a problem,” Debt Rescue chief executive Neil Roets said. South African consumers owed R1.44 trillion, leading many to seek the help of debt counsellors, he pointed out. – Sapa