Public Finances and the Transparency Challenge
Do government departments pay any attention to what the auditor general recommends? How our government manages its finances is an issue that always stirs up a huge amount of emotions …
Do government departments pay any attention to what the auditor general recommends? How our government manages its finances is an issue that always stirs up a huge amount of emotions …
What is to be done? Minister Pravin Gordhan asked the question in his inaugural budget speech. There was a slight pause after he asked the question. He then broke from …
The previous Minister of Finance, Trevor Manuel, always peppered his budget speech with humorous advice received as part of his “Tips for Trevor” campaign. As Minister Pravin Gordhan unveils his …
There is some confusion over whether the idiom should be a “600 pound gorilla” or the much larger “800-pound” creature. The usage also differs with some using it as a …
Minister Trevor Manuel referred to debates on the size of deficits as an illusionary delusion, asking South Africans to focus on the effectiveness and quality of spending. Underlying this perspective …
Read moreBudget 2009: Great Transformation or Illusion Leading to Delusion
The boisterous rotating arms that signalled a need for substitution, a 60:40 split in the voting for national office-bearers and the fact that leftist formations had backed the winning ticket …
Read moreBudget 2008/09: Can the Polokwane Strawman win the war against poverty?
“Asiyifuni Gear [We do not want Gear].” This was a common slogan by unionists in response to the government’s Growth, Employment and Redistribution Strategy. It reflected opposition to Gear. Eleven …
Read moreGear: A bureaucratic story, and some tough questions and challenges
once heard Trevor Manuel say: “Let me take out my wooden spoon and stir.” Finally, I realised where his staff learned to use the phrase. Imitation is, after all, the …
Read moreMini-budget, mighty implications and the wooden spoon
There is a fundamental contradiction in the government’s economic approach. It has adopted a counter-cyclical fiscal policy with an eye to stimulating growth and development through increased spending and investment. …