The Consumer Goods Council of South Africa (CGCSA) has said that in South Africa’s economic climate, adding another minister to the mix is of a major concern.
“The announcement of the appointment of the Electricity Minister is of major concern. It is inconceivable that in these tough economic times and in the context of a bloated public wage bill, the President is considering this appointment. We believe that Cabinet should rather appoint a skilled, operational and hands-on person, at a Director-General level, to perform this task,” the council said on Friday.
“CGCSA calls for a speedy resolution to the electricity crisis. As previously stated, our sector is ready and willing to work with government to address the crippling challenges threatening economic growth and reconstruction,” it further stated.
The council also said that it was also pleased that the threat to food safety and security was highlighted. However, it needed details on what government plans to do, working together with the FMCG sector to address the challenges.
“The President acknowledged the tax challenges impeding the private sector’s sustainability and made commitments that the Minister of Finance’s budget speech will detail plans to address these challenges. We remain hopeful that the Minister of Finance will make good on the commitment made last year to consult the sector on tax reforms but, more importantly, that the fuel rebate proposals that have been a subject of discussions at Nedlac have been considered and will be addressed in the upcoming budget speech,” CGCSA stated.
The CGCSA said it would be holding a FMCG CEO/leadership symposium in March 2023 and would be inviting the President and members of Cabinet to participate in discussions aimed at providing practical and collaborative solutions to our many challenges.
“We also urge government to intensify its work on identifying regulatory impediments and red tape stifling the business sector, including our sector, and we look forward to a more collaborative relationship to address these challenges,” the council further said.
BUSINESS REPORT