BELT-TIGHTENING OUT OF TUNE?

Since coming into office, the prime minister and his ministers have been singing a mantra of the need for belt-tightening to reverse our economic slump and cash-flow crisis.

That is all good and well. To show for it, the belt-tightening tune has come with the suspension of cost-of-living adjustments, placing a freeze on hiring of new personnel, cutting down on the lump sum scholarship allocation to students, as well as intentions to deduct no-work, no-pay from those who absconded work. Now, sadly, even destitute children face cuts to food supply at the Mbabane Government Hospital. The swiftness in executing some of the promised austerity measures does not, disappointingly, cut across the board; leaving us questioning if the choir masters are actually wearing any belts.

Relevance

Drawing attention to themselves is how, in just one week, about seven Cabinet ministers were reportedly out of the country on national duties whose relevance to the economic strategy is not explained to the public - not even to the parliamentarians. Unless the recovery is being manufactured outside the country, which is highly unlikely. As a result, Parliament business has been disrupted as a result of this absenteeism. Last Monday’s Order Paper had two important government Bills whose first reading had to be done by the House but this did not happen.
When presenting the budget early this year, the minister of Finance emphasised on the need to seriously cut costs and that everyone must bear with them while they try to move the country’s economy to calmer waters. Does he have the support of every ministry? Seems unlikely. The measure of public discontent can best be found in the mixed reactions to the country’s pledge to the Global Fund by His Majesty the King in France last week.

Gesture

It released pent up feelings that clouded all form of reason, even towards a gesture meant to serve and save their own lives. Granted that austerity measures are a painful pill to swallow, some medication is tolerable when the signs, symptoms leave no doubt. For government to garner the required support to steer this country out of the economic quagmire, it needs to send out all the right messages through actions that speak louder than words in a transparent and equitable manner.

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