12 November 2024
Blaai af vir Afrikaanse weergawe.
While the Quarterly Labour Force Survey (QLFS) numbers reveal a welcome, but small, uptick in employed persons today, the Free Market Foundation (FMF) has implored the Government of National Unity (GNU) to urgently adopt structural reforms to the South African labour market.
The FMF argued that marginal tweaks of existing policy will also have minimal impact in addressing the enormous challenge of unemployment in South Africa, and thereby weaken the credibility of the GNU at the next election.
“We need not and, in fact, cannot be satisfied with meagre improvements in unemployment statistics when millions still find it impossible to enter into the labour market and hundreds of thousands are continuously dropping out of the labour force entirely,” said Dr Morné Malan. Deputy Head of Policy at the FMF.
According to a policy paper recently published by the FMF as part of its Liberty First initiative, South Africa has one of the worst regulatory environments for wage determination in the labour market globally and ranks in the bottom quartile for the general cost of bureaucracy as well as the distortionary impact of regulations on the business environment.
The slight decrease in unemployment evident from the QLFS is most likely ascribable to favourable sentiment surrounding the GNU, but not to any policy reform of note that would be necessary to help the more than 8 million (officially) unemployed to find work.
“The GNU has so far been half-hearted in its attempts to reform the destructive policy environment which has held back economic growth and prosperity for decades in South Africa,” Malan said. “However, as post-election optimism begins to wane, South Africans will start asking questions about the tangible effect of the new government and a lacklustre reform agenda could severely impact views on the GNU’s legitimacy.”
Large-scale deregulation, said the FMF, will enhance the capacity of the private sector to create jobs, foster innovation, and drive economic development.
“South Africa’s future depends on a regulatory framework that empowers rather than restricts. Cutting red tape and reducing bureaucratic interference are essential to creating economic freedom and to ensuring a more dynamic and prosperous South Africa,” Malan contended.
“The electorate did not simply vote for a change in government, they demanded to see change in their everyday experience of the economy and in their ability to live as productive, fulfilled and free members of a prosperous society,” Malan concluded.
Click here for a soundbite by Dr Morné Malan.
Ends.
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QLFS: Strukturele werkloosheid vereis strukturele hervorming, sê FMF
12 November 2024
Scroll up for the English version.
Terwyl die jongste indiensnemingssyfers ‘n welkome, maar klein, toename in werkende persone vandag toon, het die Vryemarkstigting (FMF) die Regering van Nasionale Eenheid (RNE) versoek om dringend strukturele hervormings aan die Suid-Afrikaanse arbeidsmark te implementeer.
Die FMF het aangevoer dat marginale aanpassings van bestaande beleid ook minimale impak sal hê ten einde die enorme uitdaging van werkloosheid in Suid-Afrika aan te spreek, en daardeur die geloofwaardigheid van die RNE by die volgende verkiesing sal verswak.
“Ons hoef nie en kan ook nie tevrede wees met skrale verbeterings in werkloosheidstatistieke wanneer miljoene dit steeds onmoontlik vind om tot die arbeidsmark toe te tree en honderdduisende voortdurend heeltemal uit die arbeidsmag val nie,” het dr Morné Malan, Adjunkbeleidshoof by die FMF gesê.
Volgens ‘n beleidsvoorstel wat onlangs deur die FMF gepubliseer is as deel van sy Liberty First-inisiatief, het Suid-Afrika een van die swakste regulatoriese omgewings vir loonbepaling in die arbeidsmark wêreldwyd, en is dit in die onderste kwartiel vir die algemene koste van burokrasie sowel as die verdraaiende impak van regulasies op die sake-omgewing.
Die effense afname in werkloosheid wat uit die QLFS blyk, is heel waarskynlik toe te skryf aan gunstige sentiment rondom die RNE, maar nie aan enige beleidshervorming wat nodig sou wees om die meer as 8 miljoen (amptelik) werkloses te help om werk te kry nie.
“Die RNE was tot dusver halfhartig in sy pogings om die vernietigende beleidsomgewing te hervorm wat ekonomiese groei en welvaart vir dekades in Suid-Afrika teruggehou het,” het Malan gesê. “Namate optimisme ná die verkiesing egter begin afneem, sal Suid-Afrikaners vrae begin vra oor die tasbare effek van die nuwe regering en ’n flou hervormingsagenda kan sienings oor die RNE se legitimiteit ernstig beïnvloed.”
Grootskaalse deregulering, het die FMF gesê, sal die vermoë van die private sektor verbeter om werk te skep, innovasie te bevorder, en ekonomiese ontwikkeling aan te dryf.
“Suid-Afrika se toekoms hang van ‘n regulatoriese raamwerk wat eerder bemagtig as beperk af. Die verwydering van rompslomp en die vermindering van burokratiese inmenging is noodsaaklik om ekonomiese vryheid te skep en om ‘n meer dinamiese en welvarende Suid-Afrika te verseker,” het Malan aangevoer.
“Die kiesers het nie bloot vir ‘n verandering in regering gestem nie, hulle het geëis om verandering in hul alledaagse ervaring van die ekonomie en in hul vermoë om as produktiewe, vervulde, en vrye lede van ‘n welvarende samelewing te lewe te sien,” het Malan afgesluit.
Klik hier vir ‘n klankgreep deur dr. Morné Malan.
Einde.
