3 September 2024
Blaai af vir die Afrikaanse weergawe.
The Free Market Foundation (FMF) has called on the Government of National Unity (GNU) to act with greater urgency in addressing the countless constraints on economic growth. This comes after today’s release by Statistics South Africa (StatsSA), which revealed that real GDP increased by a paltry 0,4% in Q2 2024.
The FMF argues that whilst improved investor confidence and heightened optimism following the May elections should have a positive impact on economic growth in future releases, such a boost will be short-lived if the GNU cannot act swiftly to address the structural hindrances to growth in South Africa.
“Establishing a unity government after three decades of single party dominance is certainly a laudable accomplishment, but the time for sentimentality has now passed. South Africans must demand more from their government than mere positive sentiment. We must demand reform and results,” said David Ansara, Chief Executive Officer of the FMF.
The FMF warns that unless parties to the GNU begin to rapidly reform the policy environment, they run the risk of squandering the good will that has been shown towards the new government. This could spell doom for the coalition in 2029.
“We are rapidly approaching the end of the first 100 days of the GNU. The honeymoon period is almost over. So far, we have witnessed precious little by way of concrete reform in any department. In fact, what we have seen is the deeply worrying reversion to failed and harmful policies such as National Health Insurance, preferential procurement, and restrictive industrial policy, amongst others,” explains Ansara.
According to the FMF, South Africa requires a fundamental change in policy direction away from statism and towards liberty in order to spur the levels of growth, innovation and dynamism needed to address the country’s most pressing socio-economic challenges. To this end, the FMF launched its “Liberty First” policy agenda for the present parliamentary term in June 2024.
“The fastest way to grow the economy is to shrink the state,” Ansara said. “This requires deregulation of commerce, liberalisation of labour markets and a reduction of the size and scope of government.”
“Human development both at the individual and at the societal level can only occur to the extent that people, businesses and communities have the freedom to pursue their interests without being unduly constrained by the dictates of an overzealous state,” Ansara concluded.
Click here for a soundbite by David Ansara.
Ends.
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BBP-syfers: FMF eis groter dringendheid om ekonomiese probleme aan te spreek
3 September 2024
Scroll up for English version.
Die Vryemarkstigting (FMF) het ‘n beroep op die Regering van Nasionale Eenheid (RNE) gedoen om met groter dringendheid op te tree om die tallose beperkings op ekonomiese groei aan te spreek. Dit kom ná vandag se vrystelling deur Statistieke Suid-Afrika (StatsSA), wat aan die lig gebring het dat reële BBP in Q2 2024 met ’n skamele 0,4% toegeneem het.
Die FMF voer aan dat hoewel verbeterde beleggersvertroue en verhoogde optimisme na die Mei-verkiesing ‘n positiewe impak op ekonomiese groei in toekomstige vrystellings behoort te hê, so ‘n hupstoot van korte duur sal wees as die RNE nie vinnig kan optree om die strukturele struikelblokke vir groei in Suid-Afrika aan te spreek nie.
“Om ’n eenheidsregering te vestig ná drie dekades van enkelparty-oorheersing is beslis ’n prysenswaardige prestasie, maar die tyd vir sentimentaliteit is nou verby. Suid-Afrikaners moet meer van hul regering eis as blote positiewe sentiment. Ons moet hervorming en resultate eis,” het David Ansara, hoof uitvoerende beampte van die FMF, gesê.
Die FMF waarsku dat tensy partye in die RNE die beleidsomgewing vinnig begin hervorm, hulle die risiko loop om die welwillendheid wat teenoor die nuwe regering getoon is, te verkwis. Dit kan ondergang vir die koalisie in 2029 beteken.
“Ons nader vinnig die einde van die eerste 100 dae van die RNE. Die wittebroodperiode is amper verby. Tot dusver het ons bitter min in terme van konkrete hervorming in enige departement gesien. Trouens, wat ons gesien het, is die diep kommerwekkende terugkeer na onder meer mislukte en skadelike beleide soos Nasionale Gesondheidsversekering, voorkeurverkryging en beperkende nywerheidsbeleid,” verduidelik Ansara.
Volgens die FMF vereis Suid-Afrika ‘n fundamentele verandering in beleidsrigting weg van statisme en na vryheid om die vlakke van groei, innovasie, en dinamika aan te spoor wat nodig is om die land se mees dringende sosio-ekonomiese uitdagings aan te spreek. Vir hierdie doel het die FMF sy “Liberty First”-beleidsagenda vir die huidige parlementêre termyn in Junie 2024 bekendgestel.
“Die vinnigste manier om die ekonomie te laat groei, is om die staat te laat krimp,” het Ansara gesê. “Dit vereis deregulering van handel, liberalisering van arbeidsmarkte en ‘n vermindering van die grootte en omvang van die regering.”
“Menslike ontwikkeling op individuele sowel as op maatskaplike vlak kan slegs plaasvind in die mate dat individue, besighede, en gemeenskappe die vryheid het om hul belange na te streef sonder om onnodig ingeperk te word deur die voorskrifte van ‘n oorywerige staat,” het Ansara afgesluit.
Klik hier vir ‘n Engelse klankgreep deur David Ansara.
Eindig.
