Ramaphosa: SA to Shift Gears from Covid19 Relief to Economic Recovery
- President Cyril Ramaphosa warns that the effects of Covid-19 measures will be felt for some time, despite being designed as a temporary solution
- The President says that the government has some difficult choices to make and implement in a bid to bolster the economy
- Ramaphosa noted that many businesses are battling to cope with the months of diminished capacity and lost income
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President Cyril Ramaphosa says that South Africa needs to shift gear from coronavirus relief to economic recovery.
In his weekly letter to the nation, Ramaphosa says that the country needs time and healing to get successfully back on track:
"An injured patient with strong prospects for recovery is given regular physical therapy to help them get stronger until they can stand unaided. So must these temporary relief measures be seen as the means to get our economy back on its feet. Our ultimate goal is to walk again."
Source: UGC
Ramaphosa says that the effects of the Covid-19 national lockdown will continue to be felt in South Africa in the long term:
"While these relief measures were designed to be temporary, the economy will continue to feel the effects of the pandemic for some time. Our national consciousness must now move beyond the realm of relief into that of 'recovery', and we must all be part of this effort."
The President warned that the state has, as a result of this, got some tough calls to make on how SA will spend its public funding:
"Even as lockdown restrictions have been eased, many companies are struggling to cope with the fallout of months of diminished operations and lost revenue."
Ramaphosa reiterated the call that he made during his recent State of the Nation Address during which he urged South Africans to support local businesses as far as possible:
"We must put our money back into our economy by buying local products, supporting local businesses and industries and procuring from local suppliers."
Earlier, Briefly.co.za reported that during the South African State of the Nation Address President Cyril Ramaphosa has already touched on a number of plans that he will put into action to direct the country into a more positive future.
One of the ways Ramaphosa and his government plan to do is push for local production of goods.
According to Ramaphosa, the government has identified up to 42 locally produced products that will expand South Africa's productive economy.
"Through the implementation of the poultry master plan, the industry has invested R800 million to upgrade production. South Africa now produces an additional one million chickens every week. The sugar master plan was signed during the lockdown, with a commitment from large users of sugar to procure at least 80% of their sugar needs from local growers."
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Source: Briefly News
