The DA leader suggested that the GNU implement a strictly managed spending review across government departments, ensuring measurable outcomes for allocated budgets and eliminating programmes that are duplicated or lack impact.
Second on the DA's GNU Sona wishlist is pro-growth economic reforms because the country cannot cut, tax or borrow its way to a better future — the only way out is rapid economic growth.
“This means having the political will to drive reforms with real urgency. The programme should include fast-tracking reforms in network industries, in particular energy, logistics and telecoms, to enhance efficiency and private sector participation including very specifically the concessioning of the ports at Cape Town and Richards Bay.”
Steenhuisen urged the GNU to make it easy to do business in the country, which will include cutting red tape and compliance burdens which make South Africa difficult for business.
“The World Bank has offered to help us (at no cost) and we should snap up its offer. Removing tariffs on all goods that are not produced in South Africa and reviewing all master plans to remove obstacles to growth and jobs,” he said.
The DA leader placed an emphasis on public sector efficiency and cracking the whip on corruption — which he suggests will be won by strengthening procurement transparency and decentralising it, to curb corruption.
“The new public procurement act includes worrying provisions that will entrench opportunities for corruption by centralising power in a single point. The president needs to ensure steps are taken to secure value for money in the public procurement process.”
On the contentious policy posture of BEE, the DA believes its GNU partner, the ANC, should reimagine and re-evaluate its approach towards redressing the historical injustices of the past.
According to Steenhuisen, the current approach has favoured the politically connected at the expense of the vast majority of South Africans who find themselves languishing in poverty.
“This requires an alternative mode of redress which moves away from direct ownership solely and allows businesses to invest in the communities they operate in. This opens opportunities for small businesses to plug into their value chain.”
The DA is waiting with anticipation on whether its bucket list of expectations will be accommodated or find expression in the Sona on Thursday.
TimesLIVE
Steenhuisen hoping Ramaphosa will take note of DA's Sona wishlist
ANC's GNU partner expects at least some of its ideas to find expression in Sona
Image: Supplied
DA leader John Steenhuisen has criticised what he describes as an alarming lack of urgency in the ANC ahead of the first state of the nation address under the GNU.
Despite its involvement in government, the DA has sought to isolate its achievements in office, detailing what it is doing to change the country's trajectory as a coalition partner, while carrying the burden of “pushing the ANC in government to do more, faster”.
Addressing the media ahead of the president's address, Steenhuisen warned that should the GNU not urgently implement policies that drive economic growth and enable job creation, the country will fail.
“The hopes, livelihoods and security of the South African people are on the line. Those are the stakes. That is why the DA decided to make growth and jobs our simple, overriding objective in the GNU.
“There is an alarming lack of urgency in the ANC. We have pushed the ANC to implement pro-growth, pro-jobs reforms through the medium-term development plan process, and we have pushed the president to announce such reforms during his state of the nation address,” said Steenhuisen.
The medium-term development plan, finalised last week, informs the budget and guides the government's programme of action.
The DA has been blowing its own horn, claiming it is delivering growth and jobs in the portfolios it oversees, while influencing the ANC to embrace with urgency the economic reforms the country “desperately needs”.
Steenhuisen insisted that the country's first point of call should be fiscal discipline and debt management, saying that the money used on paying for the country's debt is reducing the amount of money that gets left for essential services and is said to consume 21% of the budget.
“If we cannot bring debt down to below 70% of GDP those borrowing costs will capsize the entire fiscus. To avoid this catastrophic eventuality, the GNU needs to commit to a credible plan to reduce government debt and then stick to it. We need to end bailouts to failing state-owned enterprises and begin the phased privatisation of non-essential SOEs, redirecting funds to critical economic infrastructure and service delivery.”
The DA leader suggested that the GNU implement a strictly managed spending review across government departments, ensuring measurable outcomes for allocated budgets and eliminating programmes that are duplicated or lack impact.
Second on the DA's GNU Sona wishlist is pro-growth economic reforms because the country cannot cut, tax or borrow its way to a better future — the only way out is rapid economic growth.
“This means having the political will to drive reforms with real urgency. The programme should include fast-tracking reforms in network industries, in particular energy, logistics and telecoms, to enhance efficiency and private sector participation including very specifically the concessioning of the ports at Cape Town and Richards Bay.”
Steenhuisen urged the GNU to make it easy to do business in the country, which will include cutting red tape and compliance burdens which make South Africa difficult for business.
“The World Bank has offered to help us (at no cost) and we should snap up its offer. Removing tariffs on all goods that are not produced in South Africa and reviewing all master plans to remove obstacles to growth and jobs,” he said.
The DA leader placed an emphasis on public sector efficiency and cracking the whip on corruption — which he suggests will be won by strengthening procurement transparency and decentralising it, to curb corruption.
“The new public procurement act includes worrying provisions that will entrench opportunities for corruption by centralising power in a single point. The president needs to ensure steps are taken to secure value for money in the public procurement process.”
On the contentious policy posture of BEE, the DA believes its GNU partner, the ANC, should reimagine and re-evaluate its approach towards redressing the historical injustices of the past.
According to Steenhuisen, the current approach has favoured the politically connected at the expense of the vast majority of South Africans who find themselves languishing in poverty.
“This requires an alternative mode of redress which moves away from direct ownership solely and allows businesses to invest in the communities they operate in. This opens opportunities for small businesses to plug into their value chain.”
The DA is waiting with anticipation on whether its bucket list of expectations will be accommodated or find expression in the Sona on Thursday.
TimesLIVE
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