High hopes for growth-friendly Medium-Term Budget today


Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana will table his Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement for 2025 later today. It comes during a period of uncertainty and scepticism among many South Africans. 

Some people say that the National Treasury’s budget allocation is not geared towards uplifting the economy. 

Many feel the public purse remains at risk of being misappropriated. 

Political parties say they want the Minister to address the daily struggles of South Africans.

The Medium Term Budget Policy Statement is also meant to set the tone for the national budget. It is supposed to provide a framework for how public funds will be allocated in order to help improve the overall structure of the domestic economy. 

The business community is eagerly anticipating the tabling of the Mid-Term Budget. 

BOSA’s Nobuntu Hlazo-Webster says, “We are still at a place where more than 12 million unemployed, no growth, we hear of possibilities of cutting front-line services, want reform, want gov stopping the taxing and borrowing.”

Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) Treasurer-General Omphile Maotwe notes that when the GNU began, it projected 1.3% economic growth, yet achieved only 0.6%.

“His job is to reduce poverty and inequality, support infrastructure development in the country and state capacity, but doing the opposite, then we are shocked when the economy is not growing.”

This year, quarter one recorded 0.1% and quarter two only 0.8%, showing that the economy is unlikely to surpass 1% growth in 2024.

African National Congress (ANC) MP Joe Maswanganyi says the budget is an expression of policy,

This MTBPS should send a clear message to the public because the budget is an expression of policy. It must address the issue of unemployment,” Chairperson of the Standing Committee on Finance Joe Maswanganyi on expectations ahead of the MTBPS.

Zohra de Villers, Tax Partner at KPMG, says that while economic growth is important, there is simply no room for a tax increase.

However, residents believe that the government still has an opportunity to turn things around, while others believe it will take years to restore their faith in how the Treasury allocates funds.