Die Minister van Finanansies se Begrotingsrede is gister deur vriend en vyand ontleed en gekritiseer en vandag se Minuut gee ‘n kort opsomming van die reaksie.

Die Suid-Afrikaanse ekonomie staar aansienlike uitdagings in die gesig, en daar is net soveel wat die Minister van Finansies en die Begroting kan doen om dit aan te spreek. Die doel van die begroting moet wees om Suid-Afrika uit sy 'lae groei-lokval' te help haal sonder om in 'n 'skuldstrik' te val. Die beste wat die begroting kan doen, is om tyd te koop om strukturele hervormings en werklike ekonomiese groei aan die gang te kry. Volgens my het die Minister dit bereik.

The South African economy faces significant challenges, and there are limits to what the Minister of Finance and the Budget can do to address this. The aim of the Budget should be to help get South Africa out of its ‘low growth trap’ without falling into a ‘debt trap’. The best the budget can do is to buy time in which to get structural reforms and real economic growth going. To my mind, the Minister achieved this.

The results of the labour force survey of the fourth quarter of 2020 were announced yesterday and it is now clear how much of a toll the Covid-19 pandemic has had on the economy.

Die resultate van die arbeidsmagopname van die vierde kwartaal van 2020 is gister bekend gemaak en dit is nou duidelik hoe groot tol die Covid-19 pandemie en inperking op die ekonomie gehef het.

After a year of economic contraction, no demand-pull or cost-push pressures, the spectre of inflation is now on the rise in developed markets. Could inflation in South Africa also increase?

Na ʼn jaar van ekonomiese inkrimping, geen vraag-trek of koste-druk nie, het die inflasiespook nou begin loop in ontwikkelde markte. Kan inflasie in Suid-Afrika dalk ook toeneem?

This week is filled with economic news. There are important indicators for the state of the economic recovery and on Wednesday Minister Mboweni will deliver the Budget Speech.

Hierdie week is vol ekonomiese nuus. Daar is belangrike aanwysers vir die stand van die ekonomies se herstel en Woensdag lewer Minister Mboweni die Begrotingsrede.

I often say that the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown resulted in people losing income and jobs. So far, however, we have had an incomplete picture, but the results of the third round of NIDS-CRAM survey have been announced and it looks like employment recovered strongly between June and October.