26 June 2024
Blaai af vir Afrikaanse weergawe.
The Free Market Foundation (FMF) released its policy agenda for the new government during a media briefing on Wednesday, 26 June.
In the document, titled Liberty First: A policy agenda for South Africa’s 2024-2029 parliamentary term, the FMF argues that the path to prosperity is not only accessible, but that it is charted.
‘Put simply, those countries that have the freest markets, have the most prosperous people,’ David Ansara, Chief Executive Officer at the FMF stated. ‘In fact, the Economic Freedom of the World (EFW) report, published annually by the Fraser Institute in Canada shows that even the poorest 10% of the population in these open economies earn some eight times more than the poorest 10% of the population in states with interventionist governments.’
This policy agenda, according to the FMF, presents a framework for reform premised on the EFW, outlining non-exhaustive examples of significant policy reforms the various spheres of government should pursue during this parliamentary term to bring about an open society that respects the liberty and dignity of all and makes true prosperity possible.
Martin van Staden, Head of Policy at the FMF explained during the briefing that ‘countries that liberalise their economies, jealously protect private property rights, uphold the rule of law, have open trade with the rest of the world, guard against devaluation of their currencies, and have lean, unintrusive government bureaucracies, also have the best human development outcomes.’
Key aspects of reform addressed in the agenda include:
1. Reducing the size of government
- Through mechanisms that ensure fiscal responsibility and cut spending.
- Tax reductions and phasing out of non-standard taxes.
- The privatisation of key state-owned enterprises such as Eskom, Transnet, and PRASA.
2. Reforming the legal system and protecting property rights
- By adopting legislation which will decentralise the power of the state and federalise our political landscape.
- Establishing a predictable, coherent system of law-and policymaking through changes that safeguard the rule of law.
- Recognising and entrenching the right to private property as an essential priority.
- Protecting civil liberties in general through the decriminalisation of victimless offences and safeguarding freedom of expression in particular.
3. Protecting the value of the South African currency
- Reinforcing the independence of the Reserve Bank.
- Providing for predictable, trustworthy monetary policy.
- Clarifying the status of alternative money systems such as cryptocurrencies.
4. Freedom to trade internationally
- Ending the imposition of harmful industrial policies.
- Removing discriminatory and damaging barriers to trade.
- Providing for greater financial independence by eliminating exchange controls and the prescription of investment funds.
- Promoting international travel and immigration.
5. Cutting unnecessary and harmful regulation
- The introduction of a job seekers exemption certificate by inserting an opt-out clause into the Basic Conditions of Employment Act.
- Amending the Labour Relations Act to limit the extension of bargaining council agreements to non-parties.
- Repealing the National Health Insurance (NHI) Act.
- Enabling medical schemes and health insurers to offer low-cost products to ensure the indigent acquire access to high-quality private healthcare.
- Repealing the Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA) Act.
- Revoking state interference with homeschooling and independent schools.
The FMF argues that individual liberty, private property, free enterprise, and limited constitutional government are the basic preconditions for individuals, families, and communities to flourish.
‘Regardless of how government is constituted this term, South Africa requires a fundamental change in policy direction away from statism and towards liberty. By putting “liberty first,” South Africans cannot but prosper,’ Ansara concluded.
Click here to view the full report.
Click here for a soundbite by David Ansara.
Click here to view the FMF’s coverage of the change in South Africa’s EFW ranking in 2023.
Ends.
Press enquiries
Anneke Burns
FMF Publicist
0714230079 | press@fmfsa.org
***
FMF stel sy beleidsagenda vir die volgende parlementêre termyn bekend
26 Junie
Scroll up for English version.
Die Vryemarkstigting (FMF) het op Woensdag, 26 Junie sy beleidsagenda vir die nuwe regering tydens ‘n mediakonferensie bekend gemaak.
In die dokument, getiteld Liberty First: A policy agenda for South Africa’s 2024-2029 parliamentary term, voer die FMF aan dat die pad na florering nie net toeganklik is nie, maar dat dit as’t ware uitgestippel word.
‘Eenvoudig gestel, daardie lande wat die vryste markte het, het die welvarendste mense,’ het David Ansara, Hoof Uitvoerende Beampte by die FMF gesê. ‘Trouens, die Economic Freedom of the World (EFW)-verslag, wat jaarliks deur die Fraser Institute in Kanada gepubliseer word, toon dat selfs die armste 10% van die bevolking in hierdie oop ekonomieë sowat agt keer meer verdien as die armste 10% van die bevolking in state met intervensionistiese regerings.’
Hierdie beleidsagenda bied, volgens die stigting, ‘n raamwerk vir hervorming gegrond op die EFW, wat nie-uitputtende voorbeelde uiteensit van beduidende beleidshervormings wat die verskillende regeringsfere gedurende hierdie parlementêre termyn behoort na te streef om ‘n oop samelewing tot stand te bring wat die vryheid en waardigheid van almal respekteer en ware voorspoed moontlik maak.
Martin van Staden, Beleidshoof, by die FMF het tydens die konferensie verduidelik dat ‘lande wat hul ekonomieë liberaliseer, privaat eiendomsregte jaloers beskerm, die oppergesag van die reg handhaaf, oop handel met die res van die wêreld het, waak teen afwatering van hul geldeenhede, en onindringende regeringsburokrasieë in plek hou, het ook die beste maatskaplike ontwikkelingsuitkomste.’
Sleutelaspekte van hervorming wat in die agenda aangespreek word, sluit in:
1. Afname in die grootte van die regering
- Deur meganismes wat fiskale verantwoordelikheid verseker en staatsbesteding sny.
- Belastingverlagings en uitfasering van nie-standaardbelasting.
- Die privatisering van sleutelondernemings in staatsbesit soos Eskom, Transnet, en PRASA.
2. Hervorming van die regstelsel en beskerming van eiendomsreg
- Deur wetgewing aan te neem wat die mag van die staat sal desentraliseer en ons politieke landskap sal federaliseer.
- Die vestiging van ‘n voorspelbare, samehangende stelsel van wet- en beleidmaking deur hervormings wat die oppergesag van die reg beskerm.
- Erkenning en verskansing van die reg op private eiendom as ‘n noodsaaklike prioriteit.
- Die beskerming van burgerlike vryhede in die algemeen deur die dekriminalisering van slagofferlose oortredings en die beveiliging van vryheid van uitdrukking in die besonder.
2. Beskerming van die waarde van die Suid-Afrikaanse geldeenheid
- Versterking van die onafhanklikheid van die Reserwebank.
- Voorsiening vir voorspelbare, betroubare monetêre beleid.
- Verheldering van die status van alternatiewe geldstelsels soos kripto-geldeenhede.
3. Vryheid om internasionaal handel te dryf
- Beëindig die oplegging van skadelike handelsbeleide.
- Die verwydering van diskriminerende en skadelike handelshindernisse.
- Voorsiening vir groter finansiële onafhanklikheid deur valutabeheer en die voorskryf van beleggingsfondse uit te skakel.
- Bevordering van internasionale reis en immigrasie.
4. Sny onnodige en skadelike regulering
- Die instelling van ‘n vrystellingsertifikaat vir werksoekers deur ‘n ontrekkingsklousule in die Wet op Basiese Diensvoorwaardes in te voeg.
- Wysiging van die Wet op Arbeidsverhoudinge om die uitbreiding van bedingingsraadooreenkomste tot nie-partye te beperk.
- Herroeping van die Wet op Nasionale Gesondheidsversekering (NGV).
- Om mediese skemas en gesondheidsversekeraars in staat te stel om laekosteprodukte aan te bied om te verseker dat behoeftiges toegang tot privaat gesondheidsorg van hoë gehalte verkry.
- Herroeping van die Wysigingswet op Basiese Onderwyswette (BELA).
- Herroeping van staatsinmenging met tuisonderrig en onafhanklike skole.
Die FMF voer aan dat individuele vryheid, private eiendom, vrye onderneming, en beperkte konstitusionele regering die basiese voorwaardes is vir individue, gesinne, en gemeenskappe om te floreer.
‘Ongeag hoe die regering hierdie termyn saamgestel is, vereis Suid-Afrika ‘n fundamentele verandering in beleidsrigting weg van statisme en na vryheid. Deur “vryheid eerste” te stel, kan Suid-Afrikaners nie anders as om voorspoedig te wees nie,’ het Ansara afgesluit.
Klik hier om die volledige verslag te sien.
Klik hier vir ‘n klankgreep deur Martin van Staden.
Klik hier om die FMF se dekking van die verandering in Suid-Afrika se EFW-ranglys in 2023 te sien.
Einde.
Persnavrae
Anneke Burns
FMF Publisiteitsbeampte
0714230079 | press@fmfsa.org
