Business confidence at new high

The previous record of 130.9 was recorded in September 2004, Sacob said on Tuesday.

The BCI has increased by 4% since September 2005 and has been especially progressive during December 2005 and January 2006.

Short-term financial market assessments made an important impact on the business mood at the start of 2006, the body stated.

Sacob said it is concerned that the push behind the mood is becoming more skewed, as a large part of the BCI level is caused by trends and developments in financial markets and financial variables rather than by real economic activity.

This becomes quite apparent if the growth in the primary and secondary sectors is compared with growth in the tertiary sector, it said.

Sacob said it laments the effort to resolve land reform in South Africa by circumventing the market approach and bringing it in disrepute.

"It is a pity that an unsettled quasi-political and public administrative issue should undermine the market principle on an important matter such as property rights.

"This is going to dissuade investment decisions by local as well as foreign investors and affect investor confidence," it said.

From tax revenue figures up to December 2005 it is evident that tax collections were exceeding the Budget estimates by a substantial margin.

It now seems possible that collections will even overtake the November 2005 revised estimates. The higher tax collections and the increasing tax burden of general government expressed as a percentage of GDP implies a higher tax burden on business, it stated.

"It concerns Sacob that the pressure on business has been greater than anticipated in the Budget. A cause for concern is the reasons for the deviation. This could well lie with a too low estimate of economic growth or inflation or the incorrect measurement of these by official agencies," it added.

"It is imperative that the national budget, as a leading policy instrument, and the outcome should be more accurate in estimating tax revenue and borrowing than was the case in 2005/06, given the consequences for business.

"Sacob trusts that the 2006/07 Budget as a policy directive, will be launched from and provide reliable estimates on important economic aggregates," it concluded.