Pragmatic, pinched budget statement dampens growth hopes
/ 31 October 2024

Pragmatic, pinched budget statement dampens growth hopes

Finance minister Enoch Godongwana forecast 1.8% growth over three years, coupled with a bigger deficit, as debt service costs crowd out fiscal space

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The Fiscal Cliff | Shallow state purse deepens jobs crisis
/ 18 February 2024

The Fiscal Cliff | Shallow state purse deepens jobs crisis

In this instalment of The Fiscal Cliff – a Mail & Guardian series on how South Africa’s budget has been shaped – Sarah Smit considers the intimate link between the country’s ultra-high unemployment rate and austerity

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Austerity, the NDP’s grim reaper
/ 29 September 2023

Austerity, the NDP’s grim reaper

Ten years after its adoption, the government has failed to achieve the targets set out in the National Development Plan. Looming spending cuts will render the NDP even more futile

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ANC accuses treasury of attempting to usurp president’s powers
/ 19 September 2023

ANC accuses treasury of attempting to usurp president’s powers

The ruling party’s economic transformation committee head, Mmamoloko Kubayi, said the treasury’s proposals were ‘unfortunate’, ‘illegal’ and a ‘tick-box exercise’

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Cabinet rejects treasury’s proposed cuts
/ 15 September 2023

Cabinet rejects treasury’s proposed cuts

The proposal suggested the bloated cabinet be cut and departments trim their expenditure

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The high cost of austerity
/ 11 September 2023

The high cost of austerity

Another round of spending cuts stand to shake the governing party’s already rickety foundations

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Public purse sees tail end of mining tailwind
/ 21 August 2023

Public purse sees tail end of mining tailwind

Mining windfall helped SA’s financial position, but lower revenues and additional spending will delay the end of fiscal consolidation

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Budget 2023: ‘neutral good’ versus ‘neutral evil’
/ 23 February 2023

Budget 2023: ‘neutral good’ versus ‘neutral evil’

The finance minister’s commitment to toeing the line may send positive signals to ratings agencies, but at what cost?

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Restructure Reserve Bank ownership, but do so cautiously, says ANC
/ 17 December 2022

Restructure Reserve Bank ownership, but do so cautiously, says ANC

The ruling party has repeated its proposal to nationalise the central bank’s ownership and mandate, but says it must be done in a way that is conscious of costs

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Controversial government spending cuts ‘paid off’
/ 28 October 2022

Controversial government spending cuts ‘paid off’

Fiscal consolidation is drawing to a close as the public purse was boosted by commodities, but the treasury will probably continue exercising restraint

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Godongwana: Government can’t walk away from Eskom, Transnet
/ 27 October 2022

Godongwana: Government can’t walk away from Eskom, Transnet

The minister’s medium-term budget policy statement had to balance the fiscal risk of state-owned entities and the threat their collapse posed for the economy

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What analysts will be watching out for at the mini budget
/ 24 October 2022

What analysts will be watching out for at the mini budget

Eskom, Transnet and the public sector wage bill will feature large in next week’s medium-term budget policy statement

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Government stares down public wage conundrum
/ 5 October 2022

Government stares down public wage conundrum

Workers are in the throes of a cost of living crisis, which could force the government to fold on its hard line against more spending

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‘SA is heading towards another lost decade’
/ 10 March 2022

‘SA is heading towards another lost decade’

Last month’s budget was positive about the trajectory of the economy but near-term growth projection are only slightly higher than during South Africa’s darkest years

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Mr President, the government can — and should — create jobs
/ 18 February 2022

Mr President, the government can — and should — create jobs

The private sector, experts say, cannot alone be entrusted with the important task of stopping South Africa’s unemployment tailspin

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2022: A return to normality or more economic uncertainty?
/ 5 January 2022

2022: A return to normality or more economic uncertainty?

Covid-19 cast the economy adrift, but a less punishing new phase of the pandemic could set it back on track

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