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South Africa getting to grips with financial reforms, central bank governor says

South Africa is getting to grips with reforms that could raise its financial potential, its centralbank governor stated on Thursday, adding that success tackling a longstanding power crisis could stimulate progress in other sectors.

The central bank has repeatedly indicated the requirement for structural reforms in areas such as energy and freight rail to boost South Africa's development capacity beyond the meagre 1%. anticipated this year and next. But, until a significant turn-around in electricity schedule. this year, President Cyril Ramaphosa's government had actually made. little headway on efforts viewed as essential to enhancing. development.

South Africa is getting to grips with the execution of the. reform program in spite of the hard environment, South. African Reserve Bank Guv Lesetja Kganyago informed press reporters.

We didn't let the good energy crisis go to waste,. ultimately we got our arms around it and we are handling. it, he stated, describing the first time in years the nation. had gone without power cuts for five consecutive months.

If the federal government addresses other structural constraints,. development could increase to 3.5%, Kganyago said. He offered a similar. quote to the deputy finance minister recently.

Kganyago acknowledged problems stayed in the logistics. sector, where debt-laden state business Transnet has a hard time to. supply effective freight rail and port services due to. equipment lacks and upkeep stockpiles. Kganyago was speaking three weeks before the SARB's next. interest-rate statement on Sept. 19, when the bank is. expected to cut its primary loaning rate for the very first. time in more than 4 years, as inflation has actually been up to within. touching distance of the targeted level.

He worried on Thursday there was still much unpredictability. affecting central bank decision-making and that threats to the. inflation outlook stayed.

(source: Reuters)