FREEDOM TO TRADE INTERNATIONALLY
Free trade is a cornerstone of economic growth. We propose the elimination of tariffs, subsidies, and foreign exchange controls that hinder South Africa’s participation in the global economy.
Free Trade
The free movement of goods and services across political borders should be fostered as one of the most effective ways to springboard development.
- Revoke all tariffs and industrial subsidies adopted within the past parliamentary term.
- Implement a moratorium on the institution of any new tariffs, and the raising of any existing tariffs, for the remainder of this term.
- Remove all provisions, legislative or regulatory, that seek to privilege certain traders above others, such as discriminatory licensing practices or the institution of artificial quotas for imports and exports.
Financial Independence
The political priorities of an incumbent government should not weigh so heavily as to determine where someone may keep their own money.
- Eliminate the Apartheid-era foreign exchange control dispensation in its entirety, especially concerning taking money out of the country.
- Remove the regulatory provisions which limit the ability of pension fund managers to invest in accordance with their own assessments of the relative risks and benefits of various asset classes and geographies.
International Travel
The right to easily enter and exit the country, provided one does not have harmful intentions, should be seen as a driver of, not hindrance to, growth.
- Immediately adopt visa-free travel for the entire African continent and all BRICS states.
- Reduce discretion in the granting of visas by introducing objective criteria into border and immigration legislation and regulations.
