Bid to trace SA monies

Finance Minister Nhlanhla Nene said yesterday that government was working with international institutions to trace and recover all the monies stolen from the country’s coffers through state capture.

“Perhaps at times we underestimate the damage that state capture has done.

“If you look at state-owned companies, that is where our biggest challenge is at the moment because had it not been for that, their base would not have been as eroded as they are.

“We are faced with rebuilding those SOEs that have been most affected,” Nene said.

“We are participating with a number of multilateral institutions that deal with base erosion, profit shifting and exchange of information.

“We are now able to report on illicit financial flows, which will enable us to trace and recover [monies] where possible.”

Nene was briefing the media during the World Economic Forum (WEF) round-table with the South African government and global business leaders in a bid to gain insight into the country’s economic and political outlook and guide it to restore investor and consumer confidence, as well as shape policies that drive inclusive economic growth.

The round-table will also lay the foundation for South Africa’s investment conference scheduled for later this year, as well as design a roadmap to build up to the next WEF on Africa in June 2019.