Now is not the time to put regressive carbon tax in place
Finalisation of bill is imminent, but it will add to business costs and may lead to job cuts
While the official moratorium placed on the government’s nuclear ambitions is generally welcomed, the looming carbon tax hovers over businesses in the manufacturing sector like the blade of a guillotine. Although the implementation of the Carbon Tax Bill has been postponed several times since it was introduced nine years ago, its finalisation is now imminent, with a second draft bill already published for comment and scheduled in the 2018 National Treasury Budget Review for January 1 2019. In its current form the bill will see carbon dioxide emissions determined on the basis of fossil fuel inputs and reported in accordance with the department of environmental affairs’ national greenhouse gas emission reporting regulations. To allow businesses time for the transition, a basic percentage-based threshold of 60% of carbon dioxide equivalent produced will apply, below which tax is not payable. The proposed tax is R120 per ton of carbon dioxide equivalent for emissions above the tax-free ...
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