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Budget Speech
Financial Planning
February 20, 2019

Budget Speech 2019 predicts economic growth without plan to get there

<strong><em>By: Mike Teuchert, National Head of Taxation at Mazars</em></strong>

During this year’s Budget Speech, Treasury made an optimistic prediction that South Africa’s gross domestic product (GPD) would grow by around 1.5%, which is more than double the real figure of 0.7% that the country achieved last year. In addition, it is quite uncertain how Treasury expects the country to achieve that number, since the 2019/20 Budget is not geared towards facilitating economic growth to any real extent.

None of the major tax categories saw any real changes that could help to alleviate the tax burden on consumers or companies, and no real measures were put in place to help stimulate foreign investment.

In fact, the increases to the fuel price as a result of the general fuel levy and the Road Accident Fund levy together with the introduction of carbon taxes are very likely to increase the cost of living for the consumer and business, further hampering GPD growth.

South Africa needs a growth oriented budget, and the 2019/20 Budget is not it.

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