Lawmakers in South Africa have laid out plans to shore up the budgets for health and defense but also put up value added tax by 0.5%, a move that will raise the cost of living

Author: MICHELLE GUMEDE Associated Press, ABC News
Published on: 12/03/2025 | 18:56:33

AI Summary:
Health spending overall is expected to grow from 277 billion rand in 2024/25. The increase comes amid concerns that South Africa’s health system will be strained by cuts to USAID. In early February, President Donald Trump cancelled PEPFAR, the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. Some 5 billion rand ($271 million) was ringfenced to beef up military forces. To fund additional spending on health, education, transportation and security, the government plans to raise the consumption tax, or VAT, by half a percentage point in 2025–2026.

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