Government reiterates its efforts to improve SOEs and invites the private sector to participate in infrastructure rollout drive to spur the economy.

By Busi Mavuso

SA will see a return of badly needed fixed investment only if the state creates an environment that is conducive for businesses to thrive and to grow inclusively. Dabbling in prescribed assets or fiddling with the independence of the Reserve Bank will not rebuild confidence.

By Busi Mavuso

Momentum is building towards finding viable solutions for our ailing SOEs with the presidential SOE council to be named soon and the review of all SOEs under way.

Cyril Ramaphosa’s admission that some lockdown restrictions had been unclear, poorly explained and even contradictory was a powerful step in resetting government’s relationship with the public.

By Busi Mavuso

Eskom grasped the opportunity from lockdown to deal with maintenance issues but its debt is still the biggest sovereign risk to our economy.

An estimated 2GW of power generation outside Eskom is just waiting for state approval – but nothing has happened despite assurances by President Ramaphosa that this is a path that his administration has chosen.

It is well past the time to review all of our SOEs and make the necessary reforms to get our focus back on growing this economy in an inclusive manner.

What we called for in last week’s Budget Speech 2020 was substance rather than the bluster of words of intent. Tito Mboweni rose to the challenge.

Much is riding in the 2020 Budget speech because a slide into full junk status by Moody’s is a very clear and present danger.

President Cyril Ramaphosa gave a positive SONA 2020 with some real plans to deal with our economic problems. The challenge is implementation.