2023 budget speech: Civic organisations call on Godongwana not to reduce social spending

The Citizen

Ahead of Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana’s budget speech on Wednesday afternoon, a group of civil society organisations have called on government not to reduce social spending in favour of tackling the country’s energy crisis.

Budget speech 2023

The civic organisations – which include, among others; Corruption Watch, Equal Education, SECTION27, Black Sash, Open Secrets, and the Treatment Action Campaign – have gathered under the banner of the Budget Justice Coalition (BJC), a coalition that educates and encourages citizens to participate in South Africa’s planning and budgeting processes.

The BJC raised concerns over the country’s growing inequalities and says it’s disturbing that government has over the years reduced social spending through the maintenance of an expenditure ceiling and broad fiscal consolidation.