Agri SA welcomes interventions in budget

“I trust that the Finance Minister Nhlanhla Nene, will not become another lonely voice amidst the current situation of uncertainty, specifically policy uncertainty faced by the private sector and the country,” says Johannes Möller, president of Agri SA in response to the budget speech on Wednesday, 25 February 2015. Möller said that the minister’s repeated reference to the National Development Plan (NDP) in the budget speech provides some level of policy direction as it appears that the NDP, previously declared as the cornerstone of government policy, appears to have lost some traction in recent times. “As the minister admitted, implementation will be the proverbial proof in the pudding” he added.

“The minister’s acknowledgement that structural challenges and competitiveness should be addressed to stimulate production and investment in our country, is laudable. It will, however, require honesty and clarity of thought on what needs to be done, patchwork will not suffice. The real causes of unemployment and the unsustainable reliance of more than 16 million people on government grants, should dictate the agenda. We also agree with the minister that progress in agriculture requires a constructive labour relations environment and well-targeted support for emerging enterprises. Agri SA already cooperates with various institutions including government to achieve this and will continue to do so,” Möller said.