Die graderingsagenskap, Fitch, het hierdie week gesê dat die belastinginkomste waarvoor die regering begroot optimisties is en dat die Minister moes begroot vir ʼn reddingsboei aan Transnet.  Die vraag is nie soseer of hulle reg is nie, maar of ons bekommerd moet wees?

Hierdie episode word ondersteun deur Economic Research Southern Africa en die NWU Sakeskool.

The ratings agency Fitch said this week that the tax revenue budgeted for by the government is optimistic and that the Minister should have budgeted for a bailout for Transnet. The question is not so much whether they are right, but whether we should be worried.

This episode is supported by Economic Research Southern Africa and the NWU Business School.

Ek het gister gesê dat mens jou eerder nie te veel moet steur aan politici se uitsprake kort voor ʼn verkiesing nie, maar die regering se planne en die ANC se beloftes is so uiteenlopend dat dit nie anders kan as om nog eleidsonsekerheid te skep nie.

Hierdie episode word ondersteun deur die NWU Sakeskool.

Yesterday I said that one should not pay too much attention to politicians' statements shortly before an election, but the government's plans and the ANC's promises are so divergent that it cannot help but create more policy uncertainty.

This episode is supported by the NWU Business School.

Wat is beleidsonsekerheid? Dit is onsekerheid oor beleid of die gevolge van beleid. Dit word gereeld in die media genoem, dit is die fokus van ʼn indeks wat ek en Prof Raymond Parsons saamstel en daar is ongelukkig baie voorbeelde daarvan in Suid-Afrika.

Hierdie episode word ondersteun deur die Buro vir Ekonomiese Ondersoek in Stellenbosch en die NWU Sakeskool.

What is policy uncertainty? Simply put, it is uncertainty about policy or the consequences of policy. This is often mentioned in the media, it is the focus of an index that Prof Raymond Parsons and I compile and unfortunately there are many examples of it in South Africa.

This episode is supported by the Bureau of Economic Research in Stellenbosch and the NWU Business School.

Met al die gepraat oor die Begrotingsrede het ʼn paar ander aanwysers verby geglip en ek wil vandag vertel wat het gebeur met werkloosheid in die vierde kwartaal van 2023 en verbruikersprysinflasie in Januariemaand.

Hierdie episode word ondersteun deur die NWU Sakeskool.

With all the talk about the Budget Speech, a few other indicators slipped by and today I want to share what happened to unemployment in the fourth quarter of 2023 and consumer price inflation in January.

This episode is supported by the NWU Business School.

Die Minister van Finansies het al die bekommernisse oor die Begroting gesystap en gemaklik sy belastinginkomste bietjie verhoog, ruimte gehad om besteding so bietjie te verhoog, en om die begrotingstekort en staatskuld te bestuur. Dinge sou anders gelyk het as hy nie die R150 miljard rand van die wins op die goud- en buitelandse valuta-reserwes gehad het nie. Hierdie keer het hy die reddingsboei gevang.

Hierdie episode word ondersteun deur die NWU Sakeskool.

The Minister of Finance comfortably sidestepped all the concerns about the Budget and increased his tax revenue a little, had room to increase spending ever so slightly, and to manage the budget deficit and public debt. Things would have looked different if he did not have the R150 billion rand from the profits on the gold and foreign exchange reserves. This time he caught the lifeline.

This episode is supported by the NWU Business School.