South African Finance Minister Trevor Manuel has appealed to economists not to overreact to the expected announcement on Thursday that Treasury director general Maria Ramos is set to move to Transnet.
Interviewed by the SABC in Bloemfontein, Manuel, who was asked whether Ramos’ move would affect markets and the South African economy, sent a message to economists but indicated he did not wish to comment directly on Ramos: “We are too quick to jump (to conclusions) affecting markets. At the end of the day what matters in what we do is the quality of the team. In the treasury we have built a strong team and a strong policy framework.
“I think both the team and the policy framework can outlive any individual be the individual the individual a director general … a deputy director general, a minister or a deputy minister,” the minister told SABC radio.
“Individuals come and go… we have always focused on trying to draw highly competent and committed South Africans who want to learn together and contribute to general learning and join the public service to give the best of themselves… and not to focus on the pension benefits.
“You have a dynamic team… the team where from time to time the star performers will join and from time to time the star performers will leave”
Asked by the SABC if he would make a counter offer to Ramos if she left, he said he did not wish to comment.
However, if she does move to Transnet — with Public Enterprises Minister Jeff Radebe scheduled to make the announcement at a parliamentary media conference at 16:30 local time on Thursday — it will effectively be a redeployment within government.
Transnet is the largest parastatal falling under public enterprises.
Any replacement for Ramos as Treasury DG must be approved by the Cabinet but leading candidates are regarded to be deputy directors general Brian Molefe, Lesetja Kganyago and Andrew Donaldson. – I-Net Bridge