The ANC government is so incompetent that it would be wishful thinking to expect a meaningful outlook on the expectations for tomorrow’s budget speech of min. Enoch Godongwana.
Feasible solutions and proposals are also becoming more and more difficult to implement due to the country’s dire fiscal position, the trap of government debt and a government that has proven over thirty years that it does not have the ability or the will to grow the economy.
Nevertheless, the FF Plus would like to see that taxes are not increased but rather reduced across the spectrum to give the economy a much-needed injection.
Spending on infrastructure must be prioritised. Actual plans must be announced on how the private sector can be involved in investing in infrastructure projects where the government does not have the money or the ability to develop or upgrade infrastructure.
Structural reforms are needed to remove the institutional obstacles to economic growth. An example of this is restrictions placed on the private sector to create jobs and contribute to the economy.
With President Cyril Ramaphosa saying he is just looking for a pen to sign the National Health Insurance (NHI) into law, it becomes all-important to inform South Africans where the funding for this will come from.
Ordinary South Africans must not be further burdened by this to the point of impoverishment. However, there do not seem to be many options. The money can only come from either a form of tax or borrowing. Both are equally dangerous and harmful.
The FF Plus especially does not want to hear about further bailouts of failed state-owned enterprises. This faucet that feeds incompetence and corruption must now be finally turned off.
The only glimmer on the dark ANC-created fiscal cliff is the election in a few months. Then ordinary South Africans can start dreaming, building and hoping again with realistic expectations.
