Adjunkspeaker, Minister Pravin Gordhan se mediumtermynbegrotingsbeleid getuig van 'n ewewigtige benadering tot ekonomiese beleid en daarmee kan die VF Plus hom geluk wens. Daar flikker egter 'n paar gevaartekens op die horison.
Indien die Minister wil h dat die belastingbetaler waarde vir sy geld moet kry - soos hy onderneem - moet hy nie net korrupsie bekamp nie, maar die onsinnige besteding op irrelevante items, soos oorsese reise in alle staatsdepartemente, vasvat.
'n Verdere voorbeeld: Om R200 miljoen vir die SAUK te gee as gevolg van wanbestuur, is nie waarde vir geld nie.
Daar sal ook indringend gekyk moet word na die sfeer van plaaslike regering, waar stadsrade miljoene rande spandeer op luukse partytjies en konferensies terwyl gewone mense nie kos het om te eet nie.
Daarom is dit net billik dat, as daar verwag word van die belastingbetaler om sy gordel in te trek, die staatsdepartemente dit ook sal doen.
Verder sal die Minister ook indringend daarna moet kyk om die belastingbasis uit te brei, aangesien 7 miljoen mense nie aanhoudend kan betaal vir 50 miljoen mense nie.
Die Minister se vooruitskatting van 'n groeikoers van 3,2% oor drie jaar is 'n realistiese benadering. Wat wel kommerwekkend is, is dat die leningsbedrag oor drie jaar vanaf 23% van die bruto binnelandse produk, BBP, na 41% sal groei. Geld wat geleen word moet terugbetaal word met rente, en dit sal die belastingbetaler wees wat daarvoor moet opdok. Soos dit is, kan die belastingbetaler nie die huidige belastinglas hanteer nie, en dit is sonder die beplande Eskom verhogings. Daarom sal die regering baie meer kreatief moet wees ten opsigte van die aangaan en terugbetaling van skuld. Indien die belastingbetaler, insluitend besighede, verder swaar belas word, sal die skepping van 4,5 miljoen werksgeleenthede oor die volgende vyf jaar bloot 'n hersenskim kan bly. Ons hoop dit is nie die geval nie. Ons bid jou wysheid toe, Minister Gordhan. Dankie. (Translation of Afrikaans speech follows.)
[Adv D A ALBERTS: Deputy Speaker, Minister Pravin Gordhan's Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement bears testimony to a balanced approach to economic policy and with this the FF Plus would like to congratulate him. However, several danger signals are flashing on the horizon.
If the Minister wants the taxpayer to get value for his money- as he is undertaking- he would not only have to combat corruption, but he will also have to clamp down on the senseless spending on irrelevant items, such as overseas travelling, in all of the government departments.
Another illustration of this: To give R200 million to the SABC owing to mismanagement, is not value for money.
There should also be a thorough investigation of the local sphere of government, where city councils are spending millions of rand on lavish parties and conferences, while ordinary people do not have food to eat.
It is, therefore, only fair that, if it is expected of the taxpayer to tighten his belt, the government departments should also be doing this.
In addition, the Minister should also have a thorough investigation with regard to expanding the tax base, in view of the fact that 7 million people cannot continue paying for 50 million people.
The Minister's forecast of a growth rate of 3,2% is a realistic approximation. What is alarming, however, is that over three years the loan amount will increase from 23% of the Gross Domestic Product, GDP, to 41%. Money that is borrowed has to be paid back with interests, and it will be the taxpayer who will have to cough up for this. As it is, the taxpayer is not able to cope with the current tax burden, and this is without the planned increases by Eskom. Therefore, Government will have to be a lot more creative with regard to incurring and the repayment of debt. If the taxpayer, including business, continues to be heavily taxed, the creation of 4,5 million job opportunities over the next five years will have to continue to be merely a pipe-dream. We hope that this is not the case. We pray that you will be bestowed with wisdom, Minister Gordhan. Thank you.]