Budget too good to be true OCT 24, 2013 | SAPA | 7 COMMENTS Mixed reaction greeted the countrys three-year budget framework, with opposition parties saying they were discouraged and the ruling party expressing satisfaction. inShare serious: Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan delivering his 2013 Budget speech in Parliament on Wednesday. The MPs spoke to reporters on the steps of the National Assembly on Wednesday, shortly after Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan tabled the Medium Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS). Democratic Alliance MP Tim Harris said the speech was full of reassuring rhetoric, but not nearly bold enough in tackling serious economic problems. He speaks a lot about backing the NDP [National Development Plan], but then doesnt table any of the practical measures that the NDP talks about, like active labour market policies, labour reform and removing trade barriers, Harris said. Without that action, I dont think were going to make progress on stimulating growth, and currently we are growing at about two percent and this is half the rate of Turkey, Chile and Malaysia. This proved that the South African economy was under-performing because of its own domestic problems, and not because of the global economic crisis, Harris claimed. Harris welcomed Gordhans announcement that ministers would have to tighten their belts when it came to air travel, car hire, accommodation, catering and entertainment. African National Congress MP and chairman of Parliaments Standing Committee on Finance Thaba Mufamadi disagreed with the DAs stance. Under a very difficult economic environment, the Treasury has been able to walk a very tight rope to achieve fiscal consolidation in the next medium term..., at the same time boosting economic growth, driving investor confidence and ensuring economic and social infrastructure remains a top priority, Mufamadi said. The announcements on reducing spend on luxuries like credit cards and business class travel was also encouraging. Congress of the People MP Nick Koornhof said Gordhans announcements were almost too good to be true. The finance minister had no choice. He had to reinforce the fiscal framework..., and I think he did just enough to get the credit rating agencies off our back. The fact that ministers spending would be curbed sent a strong message. Koornhof expressed concern that the country was not getting any value from the huge amount of money transferred to provinces and municipalities, a sentiment shared by Inkatha Freedom Party leader Mangosuthu Buthelezi. However, Buthelezi praised Gordhan for being frank in his assessment of the problems facing the economy. The minister did a very difficult job very well when we were all wondering what sort of financial acrobatics he was going to do, Buthelezi said. The austerity measures related to ministers gave Buthelezi hope that at long last we are going in the right direction. Buthelezi said he was worried that the NDP, which was a golden thread running through Gordhans speech would be done away with. The one tripartite alliance partner, which is Cosatu [the Congress of SA Trade Unions], has rejected this [the NDP]. I dont know to what extent the ruling party is going to look at the votes that they get from Cosatu in making decisions on the NDP. Federation of Unions of South Africa (Fedusa) general secretary Dennis George said the projection of a 2.1 percent growth rate was too low to create a dent in unemployment. Unemployment is going to remain a problem even if government implements the incentives they announced, he said. The slashing of perks for ministers and mayors was long overdue. George questioned whether Gordhans promise would be fulfilled. Talk is one thing. Implementation is another thing. SA Communist Party general secretary Blade Nzimande said Gordhan had said all the right things, especially when it came to the government spending wisely and saving to ensure more money went to development. We also welcome the commitment by the minister to look holistically at this, which is actually the single biggest expense, travelling up and down between Cape Town and Pretoria, Nzimande said. SA National Civic Organisation (Sanco) deputy president Lemias Mashile said Gordhans commitment to cut wasteage would find favour with poor South Africans. We believe as a civic movement that step will actually make a lot of resources... to be directed to service delivery and probably would lead to less protest marches because more services will be provided using these funds that have been used for entertainment, for travelling and for other things that have got nothing to do with service delivery, Mashile said. The African Christian Democratic Party broadly supported Gordhans MTBPS. Our fiscal consolidation path is on track and that is important because that will address our debt levels, said ACDP MP Steve Swart. The minister aligned the budget framework with the NDP, basically telling the trade unions we are going ahead with this plan.... Its something that must be implemented to create jobs and address poverty. Freedom Front Plus leader Pieter Mulder said the mining sector strikes had cost the government and had led to alarm bells going off. Theres not enough money any more. Now he [Gordhan] comes with all these government discipline measures, which I really think should have been done 20 years ago, Mulder said. It will only be peanuts that will be saved, but I do agree with this message being sent out as a symbol. The Economic Freedom Fighters said Gordhans announcement on curb wasteful expenditure in government was superficial. [It] must be read as a hypocritical gesture in light of the upcoming 2014 general elections since, if genuine, his first move would be to radically subject Nkandla to review, the EFF said. In essence, the massive spending that has gone into the presidential residence in Nkandla leaves the efforts to cut spending wanting.
Posted on: Thu, 24 Oct 2013 05:21:37 +0000
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