Ann Bernstein, executive director of CDE, shared policy insights at the BizNews Conference in Hermanus. In a panel discussion alongside DA finance spokesperson Mark Burke, political scientist Prince Mashele, and Brenthurst Wealth’s Magnus Heystek, Bernstein dissected the implications of Treasury’s recent budget. She addressed the economic risks of the proposed VAT hike, the inefficiencies of government expenditure, and the broader tensions within the Government of National Unity (GNU).