Article: Buy local: minister

[chrisc]

Most (SA) food you can buy in the shops is pretty good. Especially meat. Not that cheap overall (a basket in London costs less than it does here)

But its when you get to manufactured goods that the price difference hits home. Disposable nappies (to use just one example) cost over twice what they do in London and even Zurich. Too many importers laying it on thick and ripping off the public. If there were an alternative product of similar quality, I am sure consumers would buy it

 

[Albereth]

Most (SA) food you can buy in the shops is pretty good. Especially meat. Not that cheap overall (a basket in London costs less than it does here)

But its when you get to manufactured goods that the price difference hits home. Disposable nappies (to use just one example) cost over twice what they do in London and even Zurich. Too many importers laying it on thick and ripping off the public. If there were an alternative product of similar quality, I am sure consumers would buy it

The local manufacturers also like to rip off the public - seems to be a South African thing. Local nappies might be made at half the cost but your local guy will sell them just under the cost of the imported one.

 

[Albereth]

no argument from me.

But with us being taxed to death (e-tolls now).. how can we afford to buy local (usually more expensive) with less money in our pockets. So the R500 I could have spend on something local is now going to government....

Just to make you feel better - most of that R500 seems to be going overseas.

 

[TelkomUseless]

Just to make you feel better - most of that R500 seems to be going overseas.

yip

 

[noxibox]

Government should protect local producers who compete against foreign companies who are helped and receive subsidies from their governments.

Bad idea. This has backfired horribly with the local car manufacturing industry. Typically protection gets abused in every country that attempts it.

 

[noxibox]

The local manufacturers also like to rip off the public - seems to be a South African thing. Local nappies might be made at half the cost but your local guy will sell them just under the cost of the imported one.

That's not unique to South Africa.

 

[noxibox]

Why are you not supporting the small local guy, who comes in so handy, when you still need something on saturday 19h30, when busy with a braai with friends ???

I avoid supporting the local corner shop ever. I'll rather drive to a supermarket that stays open late, than give a cent of my money to the local shop. I'd love to see them driven out of business.

 

[noxibox]

Take all your local South African and Chinese s**t where ever you want to, I will keep buying my Levis, Ray-bans, and keep supporting the expensive companies who import or manufacture their goods here. I want nothing to do with your f**kedup government or corrupt companies you are dealing with.

You prefer foreign corrupt companies.

 

[noxibox]

Minister Davies should practice what his preaches, it would be music to Pravin Gordhan's ears. Why do government all drive super expensive imported (German) vehicles? What is wrong with a South African built BMW 3 series or Mercedes C-Class? For those mayors who have left their municipalities' roads in such a dilapidated state, the Toyota Fortuner and Ford Ranger could do the job perfectly. For those lower ranks the VW Polo and Toyota Corolla will have to do! Imagine how it would boost the local economy and lower the current account deficit!

Does it really matter whether they buy a 'local' or imported vehicle? You buy a car made outside South Africa and a big chunk of money goes towards duties plus what goes to the local seller. You buy a local car you pay an inflated price plus the tax money that goes to prop up the manufacturers and they send a big chunk of that money overseas to their parent company.

 

[noxibox]

Levelling the playing fields against subsidised foreign products is not protectionism.

You can't level the playing field. The experience everywhere has been that protection measures simply result in local producers pocketing the additional money and having no incentive to improve because they never have to compete. Once these measures are in place it is near impossible to remove them.

 

[noxibox]

The latest WEF, World Economic Forum rates SA as a whole on the 53rd place , but on places 140-144 out of 144 countries, when it specifically rates labour stability and regulations.

Hardly a source to which we should give much credence.

 

[ForceFate]

The day ministers use local...

 

[House]

You prefer foreign corrupt companies.

Its all about quality of the product.

Now, it is just a matter of buying poor quality from a corrupt business or buying great quality from another corrupt business. I prefer the latter.