This week, the IMF approved a funding request for South Africa under its Rapid Financing Instrument (RFI) programme.A number of concessions have applied, ranging from the annual quota allowed to the terms of engagement.In the RFI programme, the IMF indicates no contentious conditions are attached to it, even though a road map towards repayment is…
There was an expectation that essential services would resist the temptation to engage in questionable behaviour during the lockdown.It is therefore difficult to reconcile the conduct of Dis-chem - a supplier of healthcare products - during the current crisis.The company has nonetheless decided to appeal a R1.2 million penalty imposed upon it for price gouging.A…
The dilemma of running a balanced public budget is inevitable where there is a divergence of economics and politics.Economics calls for sacrifices and trade-offs, while politics is committed to a quest for re-election.A lack of consensus among the political elite leads to a loss of legitimacy. Inadequate allocations in key areas may result in a vicious…
Taxi commuters are facing a pay hike.An increase in transport costs isn't linked to an increase in wages, so a hike in transport costs deepens the wedge between wages and take-home pay. Where spatial planning and lack of infrastructure development leave limited viable transport options, consumers are the ones who lose out. The journey from…
KFF Health News chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner discussed federal policy on vaccine research, vaping, and drug access on Science Friday on May 8. Rovner also discussed the Supreme Court decision on the abortion pill mifepristone on NPR’s Morning Edition on May 5. Click here to hear Rovner on Science Friday. Click here to hear
Here in Washington, we’ve been hearing about tensions between the White House and one of its most controversial — but, at least in some circles, most popular — figures: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Polling of likely voters indicates that the Health and Human Services secretary can be an asset to Republicans when he’s talking about improving the nation’s food supply or labeling ultraprocessed foods. But when he’s talking about removing recommendations for routine childhood vaccinations, he can be a detriment. So, when I
Several states have joined President Donald Trump’s deportation efforts and are taking federal reporting requirements to immigration authorities a step further — by using their public health agencies as arms of enforcement. North Carolina, in late April, became the latest member of a growing group of Republican-led states to require their public health agencies to