The challenge Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan faced in his 2012/13 Budget was how to narrow the budget deficit, meet social spending demands and maintain infrastructure investment. He essentially did so by raising taxes and the tax burden.

In a lecture given at George Washington University on March 27, 2012, the chairman of the Fed said that the US central bank's aggressive response to the 2007–2009 financial crisis and recession helped prevent a worldwide catastrophe.

The following is a summary of the tax related budget proposals announced by the Minister of Finance on 22 February 2012.

Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan delivered a safe, no real surprises budget today (Tuesday 22 February) with R9.5-billion personal tax relief achieved by increasing the personal tax brackets

As you open your gifts this festive season, or tuck into your dinner, take a moment to think about the extent to which free markets have made this possible.

Last week, the amendments to the Preferential Procurement Policy Framework Act (PPPFA) came into effect. The new amended Act gives the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) the power to cherry-pick certain sectors and products within the South African economy for special privileges

More than 6 million South Africans are unemployed and unionised members are becoming more cautious about their union engagement

Trustees of pension funds have been in the news of late for the wrong reasons – investments gone awry. One of the ways in which trustees can reduce the risk of this happening is by the appointment of expert investment administrators

The latest debacle and confusion around the how the authorities intend to enforce e-tolling offenders is yet another example of how little thought was given to this process.

We've all heard the saying 'local is lekker' and seen campaigns by local manufacturers urging us to support South African brands. However, the China effect is being felt the world over, our own country included, as businesses and retailers increasingly look towards the Far East to source products rather than supporting local manufacturers. This because of the plain fact that goods manufactured in China are cheaper.