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IS GOVT SERIOUS ABOUT ECONOMY?

01/03/2018 01:12:00 By vusi Kunene

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I had mentioned previously that it will be a problem for government to be secretive with the finances of the country. I may have been a bit late to voice the opinion that there must be transparency in the budgeting process but that is what good governance calls for and we expected our government to know that because it is speaking of good governance every day.

With transparency in the budget different views that will assist government in its endeavour to grow the economy of the country would be arise. As things stand the State does not conform to Section 59 of the Constitution which provides that the State shall take the necessary steps to ensure that the economy is managed in such a way that it maximises the rate of economic development. The State must secure the maximum welfare and happiness of every person in Swaziland and provide adequate means of livelihood, employment and assistance to the needy. Government has failed dismally to do this.

Government has been continuously singing the song of moving away from the reliance on SACU receipts but we see no change in that reliance. Do we have a Ministry of Economic Planning in this country? What is its responsibility because government is failing to develop our economy? If this ministry is not doing its job, then we must do away with it and that would reduce the wage bill. I say so because, in my opinion, we have the potential to develop our economy if government dedicates itself to it.
I have said one strategy is to gather pennies and pounds are going to gather themselves. As long as we have people sleeping on their jobs and getting paid we are not going to realise economic growth. As long as we have to follow opinions of certain individuals to the detriment of the whole populace we are going nowhere. We will always be told that we are operating in a deficit and will always be cap in hand asking for donations and loans.

How is the economy going to develop if, since last year, government still does not have revenue stamps? Or rather let me say when it has only the most expensive of the revenue stamps? Why are people robbed of their hard earned money by forcing them to buy something expensive? How many people have decided not to go ahead and buy the expensive stamps? Is that not government revenue lost? Why is it that always when you look for service at the revenue offices you have to wait in a long queue yet government should be prioritising that because that is where it gets money? How many people decide to abandon the process because they cannot wait too long?

Parliament and studies have shown that there are benefits we can get as a country if we can legalise dagga, at least for the right purposes. But what is government doing about that? Did I hear the prime minister say to hell with the profits that come with that trade, as long as he is the prime minister the economy can rather stumble than legalise dagga? Was he saying that he does not care about the benefits that this would bring?

Was he saying he does not care about the employment opportunities that would come with this trade? Was he saying he does not care about the taxes that would be paid by the whole chain of those involved, from farmers right up to the exporter or end user? Was he saying the illegal trade should continue and those involved pay no tax? Was he saying he does not care about those who are dying yet they would be getting medical assistance from the plant?
We have the Royal Science and Technology Park that caused so much pain to the people of Nokwane when they we forcefully evicted without compensation, which we should be using to help us in such tasks. Why are we not experimenting with the dagga there and utilise it wisely. From the figures I saw in the newspaper I nearly fell down.

I then wondered why is government letting this opportunity pass the country if it is concerned about the growth of our economy. Which agricultural product can give you E500 000 from a litre? I feel the benefits far exceed the abuse and I also believe that if dagga were to be in abundance, people would stop abusing it because it would no longer be fancy to smoke it. That would mean the youth would no longer be hooked by it. Can our jelly spine Parliament move forward with what it was doing with the dagga study if it is concerned with the growth of our economy. I know parliamentarians are always bulldozed and are afraid of their captain, the prime minister but they must do this for Swazis and uphold Section 59 of the Constitution.