Ben Bierman Following an inspiring and predominantly growth friendly State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Friday, 16 February by President Ramaphosa, South Africa now gears up to find out how National Treasury plans to minimise the country’s revenue deficit, currently at an estimated R50.8 billion. Speaking in light of the upcoming 2018 National Budget Speech, Ben Bierman, Managing Director at Business Partners Limited (BUSINESS/PARTNERS) , says that although Treasury must consider lowering expenditure and increasing income tax rates such as VAT to decrease the budget deficit, it is also critical to focus on delivering a business friendly budget in order stimulate economic growth. To do this, Bierman hopes to see a focus on creating a more conducive environment for small and medium enterprises (SMEs). “Consistent with the SONA, Treasury should emphasize the role that SMEs play in the broader economic environment, and announce measures to boost SME business formation and busine...