Hon Chairperson, hon Minister, hon members of the House and hon visitors, late last year I was moved from the committees Co-operative Governance and Safety and Security to Finance. I would like to thank the chairpersons of the Select Committees on Finance and Appropriations for their support while I was becoming accustomed to my new position.
I believe we have been very lucky to have had the Ministers of Finance that we have had since 1994. All of them are very capable people. We did not always agree with what they did, but overall they did a good job.
Ons kon met die vorige en met hierdie Begroting nie baie verskil nie, maar wel met sekere klemverskuiwings en dan veral met die implementering daarvan. Die DA het probleme met die implementering en bestuur van die Begroting. Dit was vir die afgelope weke weer vir ons baie duidelik dat ons wonderlike stelsels in plek het, met genoegsame fondse, maar ongelukkig word dit nie gemplementeer nie en die beheer en bestuur daarvan is uiters swak.
Kommunikasie tussen departemente bestaan bykans nie. Beheermaatrels, om beheer en doeltreffende bestuur moontlik te maak, bestaan nie of word lustig verbreek om by persoonlike doelwitte aan te pas. Ons kan dit bewys deur net te kyk na die baie uiters swak ouditverslae dwarsoor die hele Staatsdiens se spektrum.
As ons na die vergoedingspakket kyk, dan kan ons dit nie aanvaar nie. Salarisse en lone is baie hor in die staatsdiens as in die private sektor. Die totale pakket het in die afgelope vyf jaar verdubbel, maar produktiwiteit en effektiwiteit het geen verbetering getoon nie. Daar is nog gedurig klagtes oor dienslewering. Die land gaan gebuk onder 'n geweldig ho werkloosheidsyfer. Slegs 41% van die arbeidsmag het 'n werk. Dit vergelyk baie swak met: Brasili op 65%, China op 71% en Indi op 55%.
Ons is darem bly oor die klem wat op werkskepping geplaas word. Ons is egter baie skepties of dit suksesvol sal wees. Die Nasionale Jeugontwikkelingsagentskap, of National Youth Development Agency, NYDA, het nie 'n geskiedenis van effektiwiteit nie. Die sektorale onderwys- en opleidingsowerhede, Seta's, werk nie, alhoewel dit 'n baie goeie doel het. Daar is groot onsekerheid oor hoe en of loonsubsidies toegepas sal word. Kapitaal-projekte deur die staat skep tydelike werk, maar permanente werk word net deur die private sektor geskep.
Daar moet wins gemaak word. Ons sukkel om met die wreldmarkte te kompeteer want ons werksmag se produktiwiteit is baie laag. Hulle geniet ongekende beskerming. Ons steun die uitbrei en ontwikkeling van opleiding. Ons moet egter met die Internasionale Monetre Fonds, IMF, tydens hul besoek in Desember, saamstem dat ons arbeidswette te beskermend vir die werker is. Hierdie is seker maar 'n nagevolg van die apartheidsregime. Dit sal wonderlik wees as ons dit kon agterlaat en vorentoe kyk na 'n werk vir almal, in 'n oopgeleentheidsamelewing.
Ons glo nie dat die jaarlikse tekort onhanteerbaar is nie, maar ons moet waarsku dat dit baie fyn bestuur moet word, want dit was gunstig vir ons gedurende die vorige resessie en ons weet nie wat voorl nie. Staatskuld, soos enige ander skuld, moet gediens word en hoe groter die skuld, hoe moeiliker.
Ons hoor baie oproepe vir nasionalisering, maar as ons net kyk na die semi- staatsondernemings se doeltreffendheid, dan is dit glad nie 'n opsie nie.
Ons glo dat die staat 'n omgewing moet skep waar private besighede suksesvol kan funksioneer. Die staat moet die private sektor stimuleer met belastingvoordele en subsidies, sodat hulle kan groei en werk skep. Ons gaan die groot las van armoede nie verlig deur toelaes nie, maar deur te probeer verseker dat daar vir elkeen 'n werk is. Die uitbetaling van toelaes kan ook beter beheer word.
Die wisselkoers is baie sensitief en 'n verswakking is net 'n tydelike hulpmiddel om uitvoere te stimuleer, want ons is hoofsaaklik 'n netto invoerder. Ons glo nie dat die waarde van die geldeenheid so belangrik is soos die stabiliteit daarvan nie. Ons glo daar is geen ruimte vir verdere belastingverhogings nie.
Die staat moet sy inkomste laat styg en dit sal slegs moontlik wees deur ekonomiese groei te bewerkstellig. Die gaping tussen ryk en arm vergroot gedurig. Die regering gaan dit nie oplos deur die verhoging van toelaes en hor belasting nie, maar net deur groei in die ekonomie. Die werkloosheidsyfer moet drasties verlaag word, of ons gaan probleme in die land optel. Ek dank u. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)
[With both this Budget and the previous one there wasn't much that we disagreed with, but we certainly do disagree with certain shifts in emphasis and specifically with the implementation thereof. The DA has problems with regard to the implementation and management of the Budget. Over the past weeks it was again abundantly clear to us that we have wonderful systems in place, with adequate funding, but unfortunately these are not implemented and the management and administration thereof is extremely poor.
Communication among departments is almost nonexistent. Control measures, to make control and efficient management possible do not exist or are violated at will to accommodate personal goals. We can substantiate this simply by looking at the numerous exceedingly poor audit reports across the entire spectrum of the Public Service.
When we look at the remuneration package, unfortunately we cannot accept this. Salaries and wages are much higher in the Public Service than in the private sector. The total package has doubled in the past five years, but no improvement has been demonstrated in productivity and efficiency. There are still constant complaints about service delivery. Only 41% of the labour force has work. This compares poorly with Brazil at 65%, China at 71% and India at 55%.
We are indeed pleased about the emphasis being put on job creation. We are, however, very sceptical as to whether it will be successful. The National Youth Development Agency, NYDA, doesn't have a history of effectiveness. The sector education and training authorities, Setas, are not working, though the objective is very good. There is great uncertainty as to how and whether wage subsidies are going be put into practice. Capital projects by the state create temporary jobs, but permanent jobs are created solely by the private sector.
Profits have to be made. We are struggling to compete with the world markets because productivity on the part of our labour force is very low. They enjoy unprecedented protection. We support the extension and development of training. However, we have to agree with the International Monetary Fund, IMF, which, at the time of their visit in December, stated that our labour laws were too protective of the worker. This is probably in consequence of the apartheid regime. It would be wonderful if we could leave that behind and look forward to an open opportunity society where there is a job for everyone.
We do not believe that the annual deficit is unmanageable, but we have to caution that it should be managed very carefully, since this was to our advantage at the time of the previous recession and we do not know what lies ahead. State debt, like any other debt, has to be serviced and the bigger the debt, the more difficult it becomes.
We hear many calls for nationalisation, but when we just look at the efficiency of the semi-state enterprises then this is not an option. We believe that the state should create an environment in which private businesses can function successfully. The state should stimulate the private sector by extending tax benefits and subsidies in order for them to grow and to create jobs. We won't be able to ease the burden of poverty through grants, but by attempting to ensure that there is a job for everyone. The payment of grants can also be managed a lot better.
The exchange rate is very sensitive, and a weakening is just a temporary means to stimulate exports, since we are essentially a net importer. We do not believe that the value of the currency is as important as the stability thereof. It is our belief that there isn't any room for further tax increases.
The state has to increase its income and this will only be possible by bringing about economic growth. The gap between the rich and the poor is constantly increasing. The government is not going be able to solve this by increasing grants and through higher taxes, but only through growth in the economy. The unemployment rate has to be drastically reduced or we are going to experience problems in our country. I thank you.]