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The Institute for Economic Justice (IEJ) calls for a radical shift in South Africa's fiscal policy for Budget 2026, arguing that current priorities of debt stabilization and primary surpluses fail to address mass unemployment and poverty. The briefing proposes a 'full employment agenda' driven by progressive taxation, the mobilization of public assets like the Government Employees Pension Fund (GEPF), and a significant increase in public investment in infrastructure and social services. Key recommendations include implementing a universal basic income grant, adopting a dual policy rate regime via the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) to lower capital costs for development, and pursuing climate-responsive green industrialization. The IEJ warns that without such transformative changes, the economy will not absorb the growing labour force, leaving unemployment rates above 40%.