The Federation of Unions of South Africa (FEDUSA) has welcomed certain aspects in the announcements made by Finance Minister Tito Mboweni in his Budget Speech this afternoon. Obviously to be welcomed are the Minister’s announcement of a 5% increase in personal income brackets that will provide R2.2 billion relief to workers, that have been thrown into and crippled by severe economic hardships resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. The relief is in line with the union federation’s pre-budget expectations that the Minister should rise personal income taxes in the context of the pandemic. Similarly, FEDUSA welcomes the Minister’s fiscal support to companies by lowering corporate tax from 28% to 27% from the beginning of the new financial year in April as they will help them gradually return to full operations and rehire workers, who were retrenched because of economic hardship triggered by COVID-19.