Budget 2026 offers measured relief to households and small businesses, including the withdrawal of proposed tax increases and adjustments aimed at easing pressure ahead of local government elections. OUTA welcomes this breathing room.

However, the timing raises important questions. If fiscal space exists now, why was similar relief not prioritised earlier when households were under greater strain?

OUTA maintains that South Africa’s fiscal stability depends not on temporary cushioning, but on disciplined spending, procurement reform and meaningful consequence management. Sustainable recovery requires structural change, not election-year adjustments. 

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