Times Of Swaziland: BUDGET PASSED WITHOUT AMENDMENTS  

BUDGET PASSED WITHOUT AMENDMENTS  
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 BY SIBONGILE SUKATI  on 15/03/2019 08:16:00


LOBAMBA – Finance Minister Neal Rijkenberg yesterday jumped past the first
hurdle of his 2019/2020 budget as it was passed without any amendments.
The next step is for the minister to try and convince the Members of Parliament
(MPs) to pass the Bills that would see the implementation of the proposed tax
and fuel levy hike.
These include the adoption of the Finance Bill, the amendment of the Eswatini
Revenue Act to allow for the 33 to 36 per cent PAYE increase and others like the
Alcohol and Tobacco Levy Bill.
The minister was a happy camper yesterday as MPs approved all the allocations of
the E21.83 billion budget without placing any of the allocations on Head 60.
Before the adoption of the Appropriation Act, the MPs first debated and adopted
the portfolio committee reports which had been tabled on Wednesday. The first
report to be adopted was for the Prime Minister’s Office, which was moved by
Mpolonjeni MP Jacob Siwela.
However, during mid-debate the Chair of Chairs Hosea MP Mduduzi Mabuza suggested
that the reports which the MPs did not have any questions on should be passed
and that those who wanted to debate some of them must indicate.
The MPs indicated that they needed clarifications on the Ministries of Tourism
and Environmental Affairs,  Public Works and Transport,  Tinkhundla
Administration and Development,  Education and Training and Sports, Culture and
Youth Affairs.
Recommendations
Lobamba Lomdzala MP Marwick Khumalo highlighted that the Ministry of Tourism
report did not have any findings and recommendations or how much money had been
allocated for the ministry.