In his maiden Budget Speech, Finance Minister Tito Mboweni said that South Africans will have to swallow a bitter pill. Tax payers will be squeezed from all sides, as government finances take strain from its Eskom liabilities and the weak economy. Government will have to borrow R243 billion in the next year to fund its expenses, and that's only if everything goes according to plan. The plan includes getting more money from a new fuel tax, higher tax income from individuals, forcing civil servants to take early retirement, and being stricter about how it supports state-owned enterprises (SOEs), particularly Eskom. To discuss this and other factors relating to the economy I spoke to Economist Professor Raymond Parson from the North West University School of Business and Governance (SBG) in our weekly slot of The Economy ……