New Age2.png Economic growth to dominate ANC agenda The New Age, Johannesburg, 13 March 2017 The ANC is mulling budget cuts on ineffective government programmes to fund its policy proposal on radical economic transformation. This emerged at the ANC's policy discussion document on Employment Creation, Economic Growth and Structural Change: Strengthening the Programme of Radical Economic Transformation, launched at the party's Luthuli House headquarters in Johannesburg yesterday. The ANC said despite mounting cynicism from opposition benches, it would be surge ahead in envisioning a new policy for radical economic transformation, which included exploring avenues to source funding for the party's programme for inclusive economic growth. "Furthermore, proposals for new transformation programmes must be cognisant of the reality that resources are always finite and are particularly scarce when the rate of economic growth is slow. "In order to fund new programmes or expand existing programmes, it will be necessary to recommend the de-prioritisation or discontinuation of other programmes, which are not having the desired policy impact." While the ANC's policy discussion document did not specify which government programmes would fall under the axe, it said that the party was adamant that leaks in the public purse on matters of corruption and the misappropriation of funds needed to nipped in the bud. "To advance this vision, the democratic developmental state will need to be decisive in allocating sufficient resources to effective transformation programmes within a sustainable fiscal framework. The State will also be required to monitor implementation of such programmes to improve and reform them where necessary. "South Africa has a significant leakage of State resources, which reduces funding available for economic transformation. More must be done to stamp out corruption and wastage." On the land question, the ANC said in its policy discussion document that while land was central to the creation of economic opportunity and improving the material conditions for a great many black South Africans, the party could not continue on a middle-of-the-road path on land redistribution. The party said that land redistribution should be fast-tracked by "passing updated expropriation legislation by Parliament". "The Government should take heed of the Constitutional Court's finding that agreement on the quantum of fair compensation is not a pre-condition for land redistribution to take place and should never pay a premium in purchasing land for the purpose of land reform. "In general, the success of land redistribution will be improved if there is greater oversight over land, farming equipment and technical skills transfer to the beneficiaries of land reform." The ANC's policy discussion document also reflected on the delivery of free public goods and services. It said that in light of increasing calls for fee-free higher education in the country, service delivery to all and sundry irrespective of affordability would sound a death-knell on the Government's budget. "Any dismantling of such cross-subsidisation systems will lead to increased inequality, as those who can afford to pay will not be required to pay for services. "Overall, it would also lead to fewer resources being available for the development of public infrastructure and services, which in turn will lead to a rising scarcity of such infrastructure and services, particularly for the poor. "Ultimately, the approaches of populist and right wing forces will, from different starting points, lead to the same result - the effective diminution and privatisation of public infrastructure and services. "The approaches of populist and right wing forces will lead to a severe reduction of the potential of a developmental state, as they would severely limit mobilisation and redistribution of society's resources from the relatively well-off to the relatively poor," the document says. From: http://tnaepaper.co.za/DRIVE/main%20edition/13032017/epaperpdf/27.pdf __________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of virus signature database 15079 (20170313) __________ The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus. http://www.eset.com -- -- You are subscribed. This footer can help you. Please POST your comments to [email protected] or reply to this message. You can visit the group WEB SITE at http://groups.google.com/group/yclsa-eom-forum for different delivery options, pages, files and membership. To UNSUBSCRIBE, please email [email protected] . You don't have to put anything in the "Subject:" field. You don't have to put anything in the message part. 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