Deputy Speaker, Deputy President and hon members, the mini Budget we are debating seems to have been prepared to ensure that South Africans are appeased, taking into account the debt that we are headed for. The austerity measures announced in the MTBPS bode well for ensuring that the economy is placed on even keel.
These announcements to some extent add value to the fight against corruption. We believe, however, that it would be appropriate if the Minister also gave an indication of how government intends to recover monies already lost in that way.
The fact that there are 15 million people dependent on social grants is really nothing to write home about. The UCDP believes that everyone has to live by the sweat of their brow. Government has to make sure that there are jobs and job opportunities within a reasonable distance of where people live.
We welcome the firm tone in regard to the implementation of the NDP. Government has a reputation for producing great papers and sitting on them. However, we hope that this time around, in these thirty years of planning, the whole exercise will come through and benefit this country in the long term.
We are concerned about the unchanged transfer duty and capital gains tax. Our view is that a drop in these would open the gates for the many first time homeowners who would otherwise be left out of the market because they cannot fork out the huge amounts required.
Fuel levies are also a huge pinch for ordinary citizens. It appears that the government is continuing to squeeze and squash every penny it can out of the ordinary man, and this has adverse effects on many other spheres of living.
The UCDP holds the view that as we proceed, total agreement with the belt- tightening measures proposed in the budget will be good for the country. The UCDP supports the 2013 Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement. [Applause.]