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The report analyzes the socio-economic and institutional crisis in La Jagua de Ibirico, Colombia, triggered by Prodeco's withdrawal from coal mining. It highlights severe gaps in local government powers and funding, significant environmental legacies, and the need for a coordinated national-local framework to support economic diversification and a just transition.

The report outlines a strategic framework to strengthen Africa's financial stability by combining a regional liquidity facility (MASF) with a flexible budgetary governance pact (PASC). The MASF is designed to provide rapid, concessional liquidity to counter exogenous shocks, including climate-related disruptions, while the PASC encourages national budgetary discipline through peer accountability and tailored rules. Together, they aim to reduce dependence on external donors and improve market credibility through a phased implementation starting with a pilot phase between 2025 and 2027.

The document examines the use of ring-fencing—the limitation of consolidating income and deductions across different mining projects or activities—as a tool for governments to ensure timely tax collection and protect the tax base. It analyzes the trade-offs between accelerating state revenue and potentially disincentivizing investment, particularly in marginal deposits. The guide provides detailed design options, such as ring-fencing by mining license area, activity type (upstream vs. downstream), or specific project, and offers recommendations on allocating indirect costs and managing transfer pricing risks. It also discusses exceptions for unsuccessful exploration costs to balance revenue goals with the need to attract exploration investment.

The document examines 'ring-fencing'—the practice of limiting the consolidation of revenues and deductions for different activities or projects undertaken by the same taxpayer—as a tool for governments to protect the mining tax base. It analyzes the trade-offs between accelerating public revenue and potentially discouraging investment, particularly in marginal deposits. The guide details various design options, such as ring-fencing by mining license area, activity (upstream vs. downstream), or separating mining from non-mining activities. It also provides practical recommendations on allocating indirect and general expenses, managing national transfer pricing risks, and handling permanent losses from unsuccessful exploration to balance revenue needs with investment incentives.

The report critiques the current South African social assistance framework, specifically the SRD grant, as inadequate due to its low value and restrictive digital means testing. It contrasts a 'fiscal consolidation' approach favored by the National Treasury and international financial institutions with a rights-based approach advocated by civil society and the Department of Social Development. The authors recommend transitioning the SRD grant into a permanent basic income grant pegged to national poverty lines, funded through non-regressive measures like wealth taxes, and supported by inclusive consultative structures and secure digital systems.

The IEJ argues that South Africa's Revised Fiscal Framework fails to support inclusive growth and socioeconomic transformation due to a persistent focus on debt stabilisation and austerity. The submission warns that insufficient spending growth relative to inflation and population leads to reduced per-citizen spending, stifling job creation. To address revenue shortfalls, the IEJ proposes removing tax benefits for high earners, introducing a wealth tax, and reviewing the Corporate Income Tax rate.

The Institute for Economic Justice (IEJ) criticises the 2024 Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS) as a continuation of 'anti-poor' austerity measures. The IEJ argues that the budget prioritises debt stabilisation over inclusive growth, fails to adequately resource public services, and implements 'savage and unconstitutional' cuts to social grants, specifically the Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant. The statement further warns against the use of binding fiscal rules and the shift toward Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) for infrastructure, which the IEJ claims can increase user fees and hinder access for the vulnerable. Additionally, the document notes a decline in funding for industrialisation and agriculture, and criticises the government's lack of progressive revenue-raising measures and its alignment with OECD rather than UN-led international tax cooperation.

The paper examines the potential for Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa to implement a single monetary unit to reduce reliance on the US dollar and enhance trade. Using the Optimal Currency Areas (OCA) framework, it identifies significant barriers, including non-synchronous economic cycles, lack of fiscal integration, and diverse political systems. While the move could shift global financial power away from the US and EU, the author warns that China's economic dominance and the varying needs of members like India and Russia create complex challenges. The paper recommends a phased approach to integration, focusing on institutional strengthening and risk mitigation.

The paper examines the potential for a unified BRICS currency to enhance economic stability and challenge the dominance of the US dollar and euro, while highlighting significant risks stemming from economic divergence and political mistrust. Using the Optimal Currency Areas (OCA) framework, it argues that the lack of fiscal integration and synchronised business cycles among member states poses a major barrier to implementation. The author recommends a phased approach to integration and the strengthening of institutional frameworks to mitigate these risks.

The document is an open letter from South African civil society, labour organisations, and policy experts arguing that the National Treasury exercises disproportionate influence over government policy, often obstructing the progressive realisation of socio-economic rights. The authors specifically highlight the failure to transition the Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant into a permanent basic income system, alleging that Treasury's adherence to an 'austerity' paradigm undermines constitutional mandates and inclusive economic growth.

A coalition of civil society, labour, and policy experts urges President Cyril Ramaphosa to curb the National Treasury's influence over social policy. They argue that Treasury's 'austerity' paradigm and opposition to a permanent basic income grant contradict constitutional obligations and the President's own stated goals, leading to the unfair exclusion of millions from the Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant.

The document identifies significant obstacles to Colombia's transition from thermal coal, including heavy fiscal dependence on coal royalties, weak subnational institutional capacities, and long-term environmental liabilities. It emphasizes that while the national government has made commitments, local regions like Cesar and La Guajira face severe risks from unplanned mine closures and a lack of diversified economic alternatives. The brief recommends establishing a permanent transition fund, strengthening local government competencies, and ensuring inclusive planning that protects the rights of Indigenous and Afro-Colombian communities.

The Institute for Economic Justice criticises the South African National Treasury for dictating government policy through a fiscal framework that prioritises debt reduction over essential public services. The authors argue that the current 'balanced fiscal stance' and reliance on public-private partnerships (PPPs) hinder economic growth and exacerbate poverty. They propose alternative revenue-raising measures, such as wealth taxes and resource rent taxes, to fund a universal basic income grant and public investment in infrastructure and labour-intensive sectors.

The report argues that fiscal policies—including roadmaps, tax incentives, guarantees, and subsidies—are essential to bridge the net-zero investment gap in the ASEAN+3 region. It identifies critical barriers such as a lack of suitable project pipelines, regulatory uncertainty, and the predominance of MSMEs. The document recommends a holistic approach combining these fiscal tools with non-fiscal policies like green taxonomies and mandatory climate disclosures to steer the financial sector toward sustainable development goals.

The Universal Basic Income Coalition (UBIC) produced a scorecard to assess political parties' positions on basic income grants (BIG) in South Africa. The analysis focuses on whether parties commit to expanding the social protection floor, providing adequate grant values, ensuring universal eligibility for adults aged 18-59, and removing conditionalities. The report highlights a wide disparity in party commitments, with Action SA, the ANC, and GOOD scoring highly for their progressive proposals, while many other parties either lack a clear policy or propose conditional grants that UBIC argues could increase exclusion and dependency.

The IEJ and #PTG have filed a replying affidavit in a High Court case against the South African government, arguing that the Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant is administered through 'unfair and irrational systems' that exclude up to 8 million people living in food poverty. The applicants challenge the government's defense—which cites fiscal constraints and the temporary nature of the grant—by arguing that National Treasury is overstepping its mandate and that the state is prioritizing the prevention of 'inclusion errors' over the rights of eligible beneficiaries. The document further notes that recent regulatory amendments and a small increase in grant value (from R350 to R370) fail to address the retrogression of the grant's purchasing power against high food inflation.

The IEJ argues that Budget 2024 continues a trend of austerity, with R270 billion in budget cuts between 2019/20 and 2026/27 threatening public services and socio-economic rights. The submission highlights declining spending on healthcare and education, inadequate social grant increases relative to inflation, and a flawed reliance on private sector investment to address unemployment and climate change. The IEJ recommends reversing budget cuts, increasing public investment in infrastructure, and raising revenue by taxing high-income earners and restoring corporate income tax rates.

The Institute for Economic Justice (IEJ) asserts that South Africa has failed to mobilise its maximum available resources, leading to unnecessary cuts in social service spending. The brief proposes a shift toward proactive resource mobilisation, specifically through taxing wealth and financial transactions, restoring Corporate Income Tax rates, and reducing tax exemptions for the wealthy. It further suggests renegotiating debt terms and leveraging reserves to create a more equitable economic framework and fulfill constitutional and international socioeconomic obligations.

The 2024 National Budget continues a decade-long trend of budget cuts to achieve a primary budget surplus and stabilise debt, despite high levels of poverty and unemployment in South Africa. The IEJ argues that the National Treasury's claim of insufficient funds is contradicted by the drawdown of R150 billion from the Gold and Foreign Exchange Contingency Reserve Account (GFECRA). The document highlights real-term declines in per capita non-interest expenditure, social grant values, and spending on healthcare and education. It proposes alternative revenue sources, such as wealth taxes and taxing financial transactions, to fund essential services and job creation. The IEJ criticises the reliance on Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) for infrastructure and electricity, warning of fiscal risks and potential tariff increases.

The Universal Basic Income Coalition (UBIC) criticizes draft amendments to South Africa's Covid-19 Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant regulations. While the amendments extend the grant until 2025, UBIC argues they introduce punitive clauses, such as the power to recover funds from beneficiaries and the cancellation of unpaid applications after 90 days. The coalition highlights that the R350 grant value is now below half of the food poverty line due to inflation and attributes high exclusion rates to National Treasury's budget constraints and poor administration by DSD and SASSA.