Godongwana dispels 'election budget' claims
Speaking to economists in Cape Town on Thursday, Godongwana said he doesn’t believe the budget he delivered on Wednesday can influence the election outcome in such a short space of time.
FILE: Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana. Picture: @TreasuryRSA/Twitter
CAPE TOWN - Finance minister Enoch Godongwana wants to dispel the notion that he’s delivered a so-called “election budget” just three months away from the country’s next polls.
Speaking to economists in Cape Town on Thursday, Godongwana said he doesn’t believe the budget he delivered on Wednesday can influence the election outcome in such a short space of time.
On the eve of its tabling, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that the country would go to the polls on 29 May.
Godongwana said his main intentions in what could be the last budget he’ll table have been to grow the economy, stabilise debt and deal with structural reforms.
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Godongwana said it would be unwise to make drastic budgetary moves ahead of an election.
“It’s not an easy thing. People are thinking Treasury and myself are trying to undermine the African National Congress’s electoral outcomes."
Godongwana said should he return as finance minister after the elections, he will be more aggressive about fiscal consolidation to close the budget deficit by 2026/27.
“The key issue was, we have got to do the right things, you can’t change anything. It’s not an election budget, this budget."
He believes the National Treasury is on track to ensure sustainable finances but doesn’t believe a budget can influence an election a few months away.