Third time lucky? Godongwana announces new date for 2025 budget
Finance minister Enoch Godongwana says he will table the third attempt for the 2025 budget on May 21 after months of discord over his VAT hike proposal.
Speaking to reporters in Pretoria on Wednesday afternoon, the minister said he sent a formal request to National Assembly speaker Thoko Didiza to allow the budget to be tabled in mid-May.
"The ministry remains committed to transparent communication throughout the process and will provide further updates as they become available. We owe it to the hardworking citizens of SA to be open and transparent about how tax money is spent. The budget that will be tabled on May 21 will aim to maintain the principles," he said.
Godongwana has made two attempts to table the 2025 budget. In February he planned to propose two VAT hikes for 2025 and 2026, but resistance to the proposal from parties in the government of national unity (GNU) and parliament forced the minister to delay the budget and return in March.
He tabled a March budget that allowed for two 0.5 basis point VAT increases. While the second version of the budget was tabled, the DA and the EFF challenged its passage by the standing committee on finance and the VAT Act at the Western Cape High Court as unconstitutional.
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