South Africa’s hard Covid-19 lockdown on the back of a drooping economy is set to cost the public purse R285-bn in 2020. That loss, alongside a flourishing illicit economy focused on alcohol and cigarettes, were flagged as serious concerns on Tuesday in Parliament. In four instances, tax authorities and police are working together after the SARS investigations uncovered alcohol and tobacco smuggling. SARS discovered a cigarette factory with three machine lines in action, and while it was argued this was for export, the lockdown regulations do not permit such trade. In another case, SARS stopped trucks that purported to be carrying food only to find alcohol when the vehicles were searched. SARS Commissioner Edward Kieswetter’s hard numbers on revenue losses (and concerns about South Africa’s economic capacity and the flourishing illicit economy) such as National Treasury’s modelling of between three to seven million Covid-19 lockdown-related job losses stand in stark contrast to Trade and Industry Minister Ebrahim Patel’s assessment.
SOURCE: DAILY MAVERICK
More Stories
The Latest Sign of Progress in Ethiopia’s Peace Deal
Traditional Gender Norms are the Main Barrier to Ghanaian Women Pursuing Academic Careers
Tanzania is a Beautiful and Peaceful Country, but there is a Dark Side
Nigerian Official and Wife Found Guilty for Organ-trafficking Plot
Uganda Bill Makes Provisions for the Arrest and Imprisonment of LGBTQ People
Sex in a Mogadishu City
Algerian Authorities Dismantle an International Network of Migrant Smugglers to Europe
Blinken’s Trip is the Latest in a Series of Visits to Africa by US Government Figures
Film Tells the Story of a Tragedy Perpetrated in Africa by German Colonial Troops
The Top Ten Most Ethnically Diverse Countries are all African Countries
South Africa Still a Long Way Off in Building a National Culture of Human Rights
After Lawsuits and Demonstrations Led by Chagossian Women, Britain Paid Some Compensation through the Mauritian Government to the Exiled Chagos Population