Tag: government spending

After the false start of 19 February, Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana tabled the 2025 Budget on 12 March. The main tax policy proposals include raising the Value Added Tax (VAT) rate by 0.5% in each of the next two years. This will bring VAT to 16% in 2026/2027. It will be accompanied by no inflationary adjustments to personal income tax brackets, rebates, or medical tax credits.

The updated South African National Budget for 2025, tabled on 12 March, tries to balance the need to address the country's fiscal challenges. At the same time, it aims to stimulate economic growth and improve public services. Over and above these priorities, it also balances political pressure from the Government of National Unity (GNU).

Austerity does not need to mean suffering. Cutting public spending is urgent to address South Africa’s growing debt. Delaying cuts will only worsen debt and interest payments, making future cuts more severe. Reducing spending needn’t harm South Africans, as many wasteful expenses can be removed. In 2023, the Democratic Alliance (DA) estimated that the African National Congress (ANC)-led departments wasted around R40 billion in 2022/23 alone.

In the challenging economic circumstances that South Africa currently faces, the impact of fiscal responsibility – the balanced use of government spending and tax to influence the economy – on taxpayers, businesses, and the nation's overall economic well-being cannot be overstated.

The good news stemming from the Medium Term Budget Policy statement (MTBPS) is that in 2023/24, South Africa is expected to achieve its first primary budget surplus in 15 years and this will be achieved with no new revenue enhancing measures from 2023/24 onwards. 

South Africa ranks 99th out of 165 countries and territories included in the Economic Freedom of the World - 2022 Annual Report, we have released in conjunction with Canada’s Fraser Institute. It can be noted that in 2000, South Africa ranked 47th on the list of countries analysed.

James Meade, British recipient of the Nobel Prize in economics, reported in 1961 that Mauritius faced a bleak future. The country was reliant on a single crop (sugar), subject to weather and price shocks, threatened by over-population, had no potential alternative job opportunities, was multi-ethnic, had large income inequalities, and had experienced political conflict.

While much has been written about the need for structural reform in the economy, and the need for the government to have more investment friendly policies, it is also useful to look at where the government can cut costs to prevent South Africa falling off a fiscal cliff in the medium term.

A 'new' economic school of thought has emerged and gained mass popularity over the recent years. Modern Monetary Theory (MMT), seeks to challenge the mainstream consensus across the economic spectrum. What exactly is MMT and could it work to address South Africa’s economic woes?

The Washington Post recently ran an opinion piece by Colbert I. King about immigrants to America and the remittances they send back to family and friends in their home countries. Mr. King was speaking of immigrants to the United States but this holds some important lessons for South Africa as well.