John EndresKuben Naidoo has done something rare for a presidential adviser (“Ramaphosa adviser proposes voluntary tax to fund BEE”, July 18). Coming from a presidential adviser, that candour matters more than the proposal itself, which is for a voluntary tax. The cost of BEE was always several things at once, including the paperwork and the premium, and the surcharge touches only the first. For the firms that opt to pay the voluntary BEE tax the reporting burden lifts, which is real relief, but the BEE premium does not move. South Africa does not need a cheaper way to charge business for the colour of its shareholders.