‘It’s going to cost me a lot’: Finance minister steadies himself for Ramaphosa’s Sona pledges

There is no money.

This was finance minister Enoch Godongwana’s response when asked whether he had the budget to implement what President Cyril Ramaphosa will announce during his state of the nation address tonight.

“I can tell you it’s going to cost me a lot,” said Godongwana, chuckling.

He told the media he suspected that whatever Ramaphosa would announce would dent his budget.

“There is no money, but the president is the head of state and his duty is to outline the direction we will be taking this year. Therefore, we will have to find resources in line with that direction," he said.

The minister would not be drawn to comment about what Ramaphosa would say in the address.

Regarding the R350 social relief of distress grant, with calls for this to be expanded to a basic income grant, he said whatever Ramaphosa announces would inform the direction he took on February 23 when he delivers the budget speech.

On the country’s current economic outlook, he said: “The economic outlook for the year ahead is bad. The economic measures have been revised down as a result of what happened in July last year.”

He was making reference to the riots and looting in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng which left more than 300 people dead and took more than R50bn off the economy.

“If the economic outlook is bad, it has an impact on revenue.”

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