Hon Deputy Speaker, whilst we hear and understand the Minister of Finance when he advises that governments everywhere face difficult choices because of the ever-widening gap between what is required and what can be afforded, and further that we have to be steadfast in our resolve to do more together with less, we also understand that our tax base is having every last drop of income squeezed from it. The cost of living is increasing at an alarming rate and this, together with the levels of indebtedness and inflation, is simply making life for the average South African unaffordable.
The Minister of Finance recently said that "we all have to take the pain". We salute his recent series of spending cuts because of the shortfall of tax revenue. But the question remains: What is Treasury doing to ensure that every last cent of tax monies collected is spent with the greatest prudence, ensuring maximum output with minimum input in terms of the tax rands collected?
We still see violent service delivery protests in many parts of our country. Communities remain without proper sanitation, housing or water.
Electricity supply is on a knife edge, Eskom is a disgrace to the nation, and yet we continue to throw billions of tax rands at it in the hope that it will one day get it right. Hon Deputy Speaker, I submit to you that Eskom will never get it right. We are throwing good money after bad. The Minister of Finance has already said that he will not increase the already heavy burden on the backs of our poor. Is he engaging his counterpart in energy to protect consumers from the looming Eskom price increase?
The recent expulsion of Numsa from Cosatu is a ticking economic time bomb which could easily lead to greater disinvestment, with our economic growth facing a further downturn. Is the Minister focusing on further spending cuts should this happen?
The Taxation Laws Amendment Bill gives effect to the changes proposed in the 2014 budget. It seeks to further entrench the progressive character of our fiscal system, which is not a bad thing. We agree that the wealthy should pay more because they have more. We have a problem, though, with the fiscal creep and its devastating effect on our middle to low income earners. Government must start learning to do more with less and refrain from crippling its fiscal base. The IFP will definitely support this Bill, although we have raised our concerns. Thank you. [Applause.]