South Africa

The National Treasury announced on Wednesday that the gross tax revenue for 2020/21 is expected to be R213.2 billion lower than projections in the 2020 Budget.

The personal income tax brackets and rebates will increase by 5 percent, providing relief to households by ensuring that inflation does not automatically increase the individual tax burden, the National Treasury said on Wednesday.

The National Treasury has allocated R9 billion to fund the country’s COVID-19 vaccine roll-out strategy.

There has been a higher than expected uptake of tax deferral measures for provisional tax, excise duties that were aimed at providing relief after the COVID-19 pandemic slowed economic activity.

A bulk of National Treasury’s fiscal consolidation measures will come from the public service wage bill, the department said on Wednesday.

Government will increase the excise duties on alcohol and tobacco products by 8%, the National Treasury said on Wednesday.

Government’s fiscal strategy over the next three years will be to narrow the deficit and stabilise the debt-to-GDP ratio, the National Treasury said on Wednesday.

Eighteen suspects have been arrested in connection with South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) disability grant corruption in Khobo village outside Tzaneen, Limpopo.

Higher Education, Science and Innovation Minister, Dr Blade Nzimande, has commended Edendale Hospital for its level of preparedness to administer the COVID-19 vaccine.

South Africans have been invited to attend a virtual reading session hosted by the National Reading Coalition (NRC) on Wednesday afternoon to discuss the book, “We need new names”, by NoViolet Bulawayo.

President Cyril Ramaphosa has expressed sadness at the passing of esteemed Tanzanian economist Professor Benno Ndulu.

When Finance Minister Tito Mboweni steps up to the podium to deliver his Budget Speech in Parliament this afternoon, he will be faced with a mammoth task.

South Africa has reported another 263 Coronavirus deaths and 999 new cases as the vaccination of healthcare workers topped 32 000 on Monday.

President Cyril Ramaphosa says in order to fight COVID-19, there is a need for all the countries to pool their resources together to overcome the pandemic.

Gauteng is pinning its hope on infrastructure development to create much-needed jobs as the effects of COVID-19 continue to batter the country's economy.