Economists Positive About Port Reforms, but Warn Some Complications May Emerge

LOCAL NEWS

• Local economists provide mixed assessments on Ramaphosa's intentions to create and independent Ports Authority as a subsidiary of Transnet.
  • Says while policy reform is moving in the right direction by enhancing private sector participation, the ports regulator may run into some issues RE independence while still being a Transnet subsidiary
• On the positive side, one most economists, and even the opposition DA party, agreed that moves to remove inefficiencies in SA's ports were a positive development that is roughly 15 years overdue with many shipping companies complaining about poor infrastructure for years
• SA's vaccination strategy shows inefficiencies where only a few thousand people are vaccinated over the weekend vs tens of thousands during the week.
  • Provincial departments say this is due to a lack of funding to pay staff over the weekend. Best case scenario sees weekend vaccinations only starting from July
• SA to start vaccinations of teachers today as the health dept seeks to expedite the slow vaccine rollout.
  • Comes amid a sharp rise in deaths to 297, almost 3x the amount noted yesterday, and daily cases rise to 11,093 from 9,160