The finance minister said the expenditure would be carried out ‘without compromising the fiscal strategy of sustainable public finances’
In his third prepared budget for the year, the minister said government debt would still stabilise this year but at 77.4% of GDP, higher than predicted in March
The president and the national treasury launched phase two of Operation Vulindlela on Wednesday, expanding its focus areas
The Democratic Alliance is challenging the Employment Equity Amendment Act in court, saying it violates constitutional protections against unfair racial quotas
Godongwana promises fiscal prudence in his new budget but the growth forecast may change
The Democratic Alliance launched the application against the finance minister, the South African Revenue Service, the Speaker of the National Assembly and the Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces.
Meetings are due in coming days and weeks to undo the damage after the finance minister caved on the tax increase
The finance ministry in a midnight announcement said the decision was informed by consultations with political parties
Counsel for the EFF told the high court that ActionSA was swindled in an unconstitutional manner to support a VAT hike.
Amending his proposal at this stage would force more borrowing, the minister warned in papers filed in response to the DA
Tension between the DA and ANC persists but ActionSA may keep them together
The Democratic Alliance’s federal executive has held an urgent meeting to decide how to respond to an invitation to talks by the ANC’s national working committee
But the presidency said on Wednesday the crunch vote on the fiscal framework was a test of the party’s commitment to the GNU
But there is concern about the proposed VAT increase and its possible effect this may have on the customers of members of the Association of Comms and Technology
The recent drama over the budget spotlights the need to scrutinise our financial institutions, the treasury in particular
A hostile response signals the start of the treasury’s struggle to avoid amendments to the 2025 budget
The Democratic Alliance said the budget would struggle to pass in parliament, given the ANC’s lack of a majority
His party would have yielded if any increases were guaranteed to be temporary and tied to an overhaul of state spending patterns
The finance minister suggests that much of the opposition wrangling is part of a broader political battle
The minister conceded that the measure did not have support across the political spectrum
Any VAT increase is probably off the table, leaving the treasury to look for revenue without bringing the coalition to the brink
The problem isn’t value-added tax – it’s relentless taxation amid financial mismanagement
Analysts say the budget became a cliffhanger because it was written as though the ANC still governed on its own
The DA has upped the ante in its demands for consultation on every point of government policy, although ANC ministers also opposed a planned VAT increase
The rand depreciated after the postponement of the budget speech to 12 March