WATCH: Tax, transformation and credit ratings to take centre stage in Budget Speech

Johannesburg - Rating agencies will be watching the 2017 Budget Speech in Parliament on February 22 very closely, says Standard Bank chief economist  Goolam Ballim.

He said the probability of a credit downgrade for South Africa remains on a knife edge ahead of expectedcredit rating reviews towards the middle and end of 2017, as the country stares down the barrel of a downgrade amid a sluggish economy and political woes.

“Clearly, Finance Minister Gordhan and the budget are in the top tier of stabilising forces and I think he will continue to hold sway, as he has thus far,” says Ballim.

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