Readers’Views
Stale thinking robs our economy of the energy to advance
The ANC is completely devoid of the innovation and energy required to address the economic crisis.
Clinging to dying sectors such as mining is just going to keep SA on its current aimless trajectory.
There is insufficient enabling of innovation, including in new sectors in which the country could potentially aim to become a leader, such as renewable energy, environmental technologies and technology innovations generally, which is extremely frustrating.
Even in areas where there is a stated intention to modernise, such as energy, the Integrated Resource Plan still proposes continuing to be highly dependent on coal, a dying industry globally that is incompatible with the urgent need to address climate change.
The energy sector in particular needs to be opened up as urgently as possible to competition and innovation in renewable energy.
The need to privatise or shut down almost all state-owned enterprises cannot be avoided — they are fundamentally undermining the economy and development.
This must proceed as urgently as possible. The country’s economic survival truly depends on it.
JB Jellybean, on businessLIVE
How about this for an announcement on economic policy — one that can be used again and again, without any meetings: “It is our policy to grow the economy, create work for the unemployed and the growing population and enhance service delivery so that everyone is housed, educated and has clean water and affordable electricity.”
Who could argue with that?
Sydney Kaye, on businessLIVE
Bonuses for a job badly done
In the working world, Joe and Johanna Street are the real heroes and heroines. They take their jobs to heart as their work means everything to them. Should they slacken or, at worst, fail, woe betide them. They could be reprimanded, penalised or even fired.
So what is it with those allimportant, ever-so-high-and-mighty chairs, CEOs and top managers who are rewarded for the worst transgressions?
They are paid mega bonuses and “kickbacks” for deals done (which is their mandate anyway) and also when they manage a concern into the ground, almost beyond repair.
Were it a few thousand rands, OK. But the bonuses and increases run into millions.
Theo Roelofsz, Marble Hall
Driving taxpayers away
I would be very interested to see the [extent of the] erosion of the tax base due to emigration, “Hungry to get tax dodgers in dock” (Newsmaker, September 29).
This will tell us the direct cost of BEE, affirmative action, the Mining Charter and other policies such as National Health Insurance and expropriation without compensation. Ian Ferguson, on businessLIVE
Talk talk talk (yawn)
“Economic panel to start work” (September 29) refers. Panels, committees, plans, investigative reports, commissions. Yawn. Jason Coates, on businessLIVE