Budget2024: Uninspired continuation of spending priorities by an uncaring government
21 February 2024
The budget presented by Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana today is uninspiring and continues with the misguided spending priorities of the uncaring ruling party. This is the budget of a ruling party which has run out of options after decades of mismanagement and dismal economic growth. As a result of their failed governance, South Africa is now unable to direct resources to the priorities that we so desperately need to address.
This is another missed opportunity that shows the ruling party lacks the political will to cut funding from non-strategic programs, such as the R3.7 billion VIP protection budget.
We cannot afford ‘more of the same.’ South Africa’s economy needs urgent, innovative interventions to get us back on track. Real GDP growth is expected to come in at 0.6% for 2023, entirely insufficient to grow the economy, the tax base, and to create jobs. The budget deficit is growing despite repeated broken promises that it would decline, and debt servicing costs are expected to consume more than 20% of available funds.
Against this backdrop, it is unsurprising that the budget offers struggling consumers little relief from rising inflation, while failing to make any significant additional allocations to strategic priorities, including infrastructure development and education. Meanwhile, the meagre increase in social grants will do nothing to alleviate the suffering of those trapped in poverty amid the ruling party’s economic policy failures.