BLSA CEO’s Weekly Newsletter – In the pursuit of economic growth, we must be agile and focused on the ultimate imperative
• In finalising the budget, the priority must be to stimulate growth through infrastructure investment. • It requires investment by government and the private sector, as well as together through public-private partnerships. • Growth has to contend with a world that is changing rapidly, and SA’s relationship with the US is a risk to that growth. President Ramaphosa has dealt with evolving political issues appropriately, signalling his intention to follow “diplomatic decorum” and reaffirming his commitment to strong bilateral relations with the US. In the debate over last week’s budget, a key question is how to support the urgently needed growth imperative. Economic growth enables delivery for the people of South Africa, creating jobs and generating revenue that government can spend on services, making future budgets easier. To create that growth, we need to invest in infrastructure. In the debate over the budget that we’re now going into, that must be front and centre. Infrastructure can be funded in three ways: by the government, by the private sector, and by both working together in public-private partnerships (PPPs). The private sector has for many years been the dominant investor in infrastructure, but its focus is naturally on building the infrastructure that […]
