Business Maverick

ECONOMY

Exasperated IMF (again) urges South African government to speed up implementation of structural reforms

Exasperated IMF (again) urges South African government to speed up implementation of structural reforms
The author says that the International Monetary Fund’s policy template has continued to generate legitimate questions about the impact of economic reforms on democratisation and economic growth in Africa. (Photo: EPA-EFE / Jim Lo Scalzo)

International Monetary Fund officials have reiterated that the government is moving too slowly on implementing structural reforms on energy, telecommunications and transport, reducing red tape for businesses, addressing systemic corruption and paring down the degree of state ownership.

An exasperated International Monetary Fund (IMF) has once again stressed the importance of speeding up the implementation of pro-growth and investment structural reforms by the South African government to improve the country’s fiscal trajectory and economic fortunes.

The IMF has warned that the fourth wave of Covid-19 infections, combined with low vaccination rates in SA, could lead to harsh lockdown regulations that could further damage public finances and undermine economic recovery efforts.

IMF head honchos concluded their virtual meetings with the government, organised business and state-owned enterprise officials on 7 December 2021. It was part of their regular observations of SA’s economy and fiscal outlook. 

Following the meetings, IMF officials published a statement that could have been cut and pasted from previous ones, repeating their views on the measures required to fix SA’s broken economy and worrying fiscal path. 

The IMF officials once again said the government is moving too slowly on implementing structural reforms on energy (embracing renewable energy sources), telecommunications (releasing new radio frequency spectrum), transport (opening ports to private sector investors), reducing red tape for businesses, addressing systemic corruption and paring down the degree of state ownership in SA. 

“Structural rigidities are depressing private investment and hindering inclusive growth and job creation. These rigidities need to be tackled immediately to increase the economy’s productivity and competitiveness and reduce poverty and inequality,” the IMF wrote in its statement.

The relentless Covid-19 pandemic and “delays or reversals” in structural reform implementation is stalling SA’s economic recovery, the IMF said, adding that it expects the economy to grow by 4.6% in 2021. 

The IMF’s forecast is lower than that of the National Treasury and SA Reserve Bank, which predicted the economy would grow by 5.1% and 5.3% respectively.

The commodities boom around the world saved SA’s economy from further deterioration in 2021, creating a far rosier outlook for the country’s public finances. But there are already signs that commodity prices won’t be sustainable over the medium-to-long term, which will leave SA’s economy exposed and vulnerable. 

The IMF acknowledged that the government has started the early work of implementing structural reforms, especially on the energy front. Intensified load shedding in 2021, probably the worst in recent memory, encouraged President Ramaphosa to embrace energy reforms – the threshold for companies to produce their own electricity without a licence has been lifted to 100MW and the fifth window of procuring renewable energy (wind and solar) has opened.

On the issue of ports, Ramaphosa announced two reform measures: he opened ports for increased participation by private sector investors, and established the Transnet National Ports Authority – the owner of ports in the country and a Transnet subsidiary – as a separate and independent company.  

Said the IMF: “The announced reforms to attract private sector participation in energy generation and port and railway operations are encouraging, but need to be supported by steadfast action to address Eskom’s and Transnet’s operational and financial problems. 

“Importantly, governance weaknesses are a serious problem that continues to jeopardise the operations of both institutions.”

However, the reform measures on energy, ports and telecommunications (release of spectrum) are still stuck in legal and administrative processes and might only yield benefits in years to come. 

Once again, basket case state-owned enterprises (SOEs) came under the spotlight. The IMF urged the government to conduct an audit of SOEs (there are about 700 in SA) and whether there is merit in them being owned by the state. 

“SOEs that do not meet their objectives or lack economic relevance should be divested or liquidated depending on commercial viability. SOEs carrying out predominantly government business should have their functions merged into a related government department or an agency under the purview of the budget.”

In response, the National Treasury went on the defensive, saying that the country remains committed to implementing structural reforms, as evidenced by early measures taken in the energy and ports industries. 

The Treasury said other reform measures are in the offing, including ongoing work to restructure the governance and financial affairs of Eskom, streamlining the application process for water-use licences, improving the e-visa system that will be completed by 2022, and releasing spectrum in the new year. DM/BM

[hearken id=”daily-maverick/8881″]

Gallery

Comments - Please in order to comment.

  • I agree with the IMF. How do we go about speeding up this process. Are there any practical things that we as the people of South Africa can practically do? Waiting for Someone else to do something about it or change a corrupt system here, is years and years away. Repair, or replace – just get it done. How can I help?

  • Deborah Rudman says:

    What about the IMF withholding funding until real, visible progress is made in those areas by SA?

    • Gerrie Pretorius Pretorius says:

      I am sure that would be seen as a super racist reaction.

      • Salatiso Mdeni says:

        And yet that’s exactly what should happen. What’s the incentive to comply if, despite the blatant disregard the country still gets the money that will most likely be wasted due to failure to implement the reforms?

        But I agree with you, these days when people don’t agree with the facts not want to do what they ought to its racism.

    • Tim Spring says:

      The more they fund us, the more say they get

  • Jon Quirk says:

    At the heart of our Government’s balking at making the changes that are necessary to make our economy more competitive, is racism. Our Government believes that black people are inferior and simply cannot cope unless the odds are very heavily loaded to either handicap the more efficient, or to give a massive leg-up to their chosen group of connected cadres they have chosen to benefit.

    The big losers are, of course, the poor and the country as an entity. So the big question is – what will it take for our Government, and the ANC as a party, to stop seeing and interpreting everything that happens in the World through the prism of racism?

    • Gerrie Pretorius Pretorius says:

      Jon, you have hit the nail on the head! The problem (sorry, challenge, there aren’t any problems in SA since 1994) is the anc and its policy of cadre deployment and thereby to get rid of experienced (white) government employees.

  • Peter Hartley says:

    I’m shocked to read that there are about 700 SOEs in South Africa. How is that possible and why? Too much of the economy is under the direct control of the Government and we have far too many Government employees. Government needs to privatise so many of the functions under it’s control but whilst the ANC is in power it just won’t happen. So sad to see a country with so much potential – abundant natural resources, plenty of land, great weather and tremendous tourist potential – to be so badly mismanaged to the disadvantage of all its people. Ramaphosa you have failed your people. Madiba must be turning in his grave.

Please peer review 3 community comments before your comment can be posted

X

This article is free to read.

Sign up for free or sign in to continue reading.

Unlike our competitors, we don’t force you to pay to read the news but we do need your email address to make your experience better.


Nearly there! Create a password to finish signing up with us:

Please enter your password or get a sign in link if you’ve forgotten

Open Sesame! Thanks for signing up.

We would like our readers to start paying for Daily Maverick...

…but we are not going to force you to. Over 10 million users come to us each month for the news. We have not put it behind a paywall because the truth should not be a luxury.

Instead we ask our readers who can afford to contribute, even a small amount each month, to do so.

If you appreciate it and want to see us keep going then please consider contributing whatever you can.

Support Daily Maverick→
Payment options

Every seed of hope will one day sprout.

South African citizens throughout the country are standing up for our human rights. Stay informed, connected and inspired by our weekly FREE Maverick Citizen newsletter.