TIISETSO MOTSOENENG: Banks keep powder dry amid GNU budget gamble
Sector could immediately free up more than R200bn in capital if CET1 ratios were trimmed to regulatory thresholds
SA banks are sitting on a treasure trove of dry powder, a war chest that could be deployed to reignite the economy, fund the infrastructure dreams that have long been promised but rarely delivered, and, crucially, shore up the fragile social compact underpinning our democracy.
Yet this dry powder remains untouched, waiting for the government of national unity (GNU) to prove it can turn lofty rhetoric into tangible action. The stakes couldn’t be higher. With the budget framework hanging in the balance ahead of Wednesday's deadline, the GNU risks turning what should be the heartbeat of democracy — a space where ideas are battle tested — into a chaotic spectacle that erodes the fragile goodwill that greeted its formation less than a year ago. ..
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