2019 MEDIUM TERM BUDGET POLICY STATEMENT telecommunications policy directive for spectrum licensing was released in July 2019, providing a framework to enable the regulator to issue licences. While encouraging, further progress is required. The discussion document titled Economic Transformation, Inclusive Growth, and Competitiveness: Towards an Economic Strategy for South Africa, released in August 2019 by the National Treasury, presents an approach to boost potential growth. It focuses on areas which address our largest microeconomic binding constraints: Treasury’s economic reform proposals aim to boost competitiveness and job creation • Network industries, such as road, rail and telecommunications, need to be modernised and reformed so that lower costs and increased efficiency can improve business competitiveness. Export-focused reforms are needed to boost exports, employment and innovation, and enhance regional growth. Focused and flexible industrial and trade policy can support such reforms, alongside promoting labour-intensive sectors such as tourism and agriculture. Raising competition in the economy will make it easier for businesses – particularly small firms – to compete against large, dominant players. • • Ideally, these structural reforms would have been implemented during a period of strong cyclical growth, and with ample fiscal space. The country, however, cannot wait any longer. It typically takes between two and four years for reforms to bolster growth. The following reforms should be implemented without delay. They do not require significant state capacity, and should boost economic growth over the next two years: • Tourism: Accelerate progress on the Yamoussoukro open skies agreement to reduce the cost of flying to South Africa, and support tourism by cutting red tape and the regulatory burden for entrepreneurs and small businesses. Electricity: Finalise the granting of licences for small-scale power generation projects approved by the Minister of Energy. The fifth round of the Independent Power Producer (IPP) programme for renewable energy should begin, with estimated revenue gains of between R40 billion and R50 billion two to four years after the bid window is opened. Telecommunications: Issue guidelines and enforce open-access conditions to support the rapid expansion of fibre infrastructure. Costs of doing business: Develop a single platform to register a business and automate the deeds registry. • • • Other reforms also need to begin immediately, although they will likely only be completed over the medium term. These include reforms in modernising ports and rail; in water, rehabilitating municipal infrastructure linked to industrial activity; and in telecommunications, releasing spectrum to facilitate a licensing process over the next two years. Industrial policy should actively promote an export orientation, broadening the focus from state-led demand programmes such as local procurement. In trade policy, government should establish, alongside the private sector, Medium-term reforms may be completed in next three years if begun immediately 14
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