Chris Hattingh

[Opinion] Avoiding the easiest of own goals

According to the National Treasury, South Africa’s GDP growth has averaged 0.8% per year since 2012. As CHRIS HATTINGH reports, most of the major causes behind this severe underperformance are well-documented: electricity shortfalls, onerous bureaucratic systems and inflexible labour markets, corruption from national to municipal levels, and numerous logistics inefficiencies.

[Opinion] Where to for Venezuela?

An economic crisis that began under Hugo Chávez has accelerated under Nicolás Maduro.

[Opinion] AGOA: The renewal signs are positive

THE recent trip by Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Parks Tau, and Deputy Minister Andrew Whitfield to the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) Forum in Washington, DC, US, has turned out quite well.

[Letter] Avoid tariff-subsidies route

The IMF’s July World Economic Outlook highlights the risks posed by “trade tariffs, alongside a scaling up of industrial policies worldwide”, generating “damaging cross‐border spillovers, as well as trigger retaliation, resulting in a costly race to the bottom”.

[Letter] Revisit trade policy

Tariffs run risk of entering ‘tit-for-tat’ territory.

[Letter] NHI undermines security and predictability

Health minister Joe Phaahla recently told South Africans, “medical aid schemes are still there. So keep your medical aid. Everything will be transparent. Please, don’t throw away your medical aid schemes and stop your debit order.”

[Letter] Tempting fate with NHI fund powers

The National Health Insurance (NHI) Act provides for the following (among others): “The [NHI] Fund must determine payment rates annually for healthcare service providers, health establishments and suppliers in the prescribed manner and in accordance with the provisions of this act,” and, “account to the minister on the performance of its functions and the exercise of its powers.”

[Letter] Coalition could be helpful

Deputy finance minister David Masondo underestimates the momentum that a coalition — even if it proves to be unstable — could afford President Cyril Ramaphosa’s “reform agenda”.