Basic Income Grant In The Pipeline – President Ramaphosa
President Cyril Ramaphosa says the government is considering introducing a basic income grant. This follows a week of violent protests, looting and rioting in the country.
President Cyril Ramaphosa says the government is considering the implementation of a basic income grant.
The President was speaking during his online Nelson Mandela Memorial lecture on Sunday this past week. Ramaphosa added that it is being discussed within the African National Congress (ANC) and at the Government level.
Suggestions have been made that in addressing the needs of our people, we must be bold enough to think about interventions such as the Basic income grant, a number of panellists mentioned this, yes it requires bravery and some suggestion have about where the money will come from.
Ramaphosa added that Treasury is discussing the aid that is taking place and the presidency is considering a separate support package for businesses and individuals.
However, the Centre for Economic Development and Transformation’s, Duma Gqubule, says that the government has been slow to act on this consideration and has missed several opportunities to do so.
“The president has had four opportunities to tell us what the economic response to this crisis will be. It was Sunday and Monday the previous week, Friday in the address and also yesterday in the ANC webinar debate with civil society activists,” he said.
The majority of civil society activists called for a basic income grant and the president was put under pressure to up with an answer.
Gqubule also says that there is no excuse not to have a basic income grant as there are multiple studies that show how it can be financed. and that it would provide massive relief to the public while the government gains in the form of taxes from public spending.
