John Maynard: “I have a dream for SA in 2017…”

John Maynard, the nom de plume of an independent economist is a regular contributor on the Biznews platform. He’s obsessed with official statistics and uses these facts to blast through misleading narrative and propaganda. Some of his most recent articles looked at how SAA boss Dudu Myeni’s wasted billions would have covered 55 000 #FeesMustFall student tuition, and how SA’s tax system is milking the ‘poor’ rich people. This is his dream for South Africa in 2017. – Stuart Lowman

By John Maynard*

My dream for SA in 2017 is for South Africans not to just take the numbers supplied to them by politicians as fact. Like President Zuma’s claim that blacks only own 3% of the JSE. Without him having any form of data to substantiate that number. But to rather dig a little deeper and ask more questions in order to separate fact from fiction.

I hope policy makers will take a critical look at the results of current policies being implemented and fast track changes where they are desperately needed. Think of SANRAL and E-tolls. Losing millions but they still trying to make it work. The people have spoken. Cut your losses and drop E-tolls.

I dream that this will be the year that no SOE will ask the state for a bailout.

For the South African Reserve Bank I do hope they get a new team of inflation forecasters on board, as their inflation forecasting has been horrible and because of their inflation forecasts they probably raised interest rates twice in 2016 when they shouldn’t have.

But most of all, I dream that all South Africans will see an improvement in their living conditions, living standards and have a better quality of life than what they experienced in 2016.

  • John Maynard is the nom de plume of an independent economist who is obsessed with official statistics – and uses these facts to blast through misleading narrative and propaganda. For more of his unique insights click here.
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