The Democratic Alliance (DA) has called on government to ease the pain of the high cost of living. The DA submitted a memorandum of demands to the National Treasury in Pretoria ahead of next week’s Medium Term Budget Policy Statement.
Part of their demands is that Treasury should introduce a section 77 money bill that will cater for the poor, who continue to suffer under the harsh economic environment.
The DA has accused government of not doing enough to assist the poor. That’s as South Africans continue to grapple with the high cost of living. And as we head closer to the Medium-Term Policy Statement, the DA says it will keep a watchful eye on the Finance Minister’s speech. It says it wants Enoch Godongwana to add additional items to the zero-VAT basket.
“We will be watching the budget process closely, Dr George who is the shadow finance minister of finance is going to be in that lock-up with the minister where they will be going line-by-line in the budget to see where are you spending your money. Because we are still of the view that you cannot be spending R8 billion a year on private and security for ministers but you say there is no money to elevate the fuel levy, you cannot be spending billions on failed state owned enterprises that have been,by corruption, while you say there is no money to extend the zero-rated vat on basic of goods,” says Siviwe Gwarube, DA Member of Parliament.
DA will keep a close watch on the Medium Term Budget Policy Statement:
The Deputy Director General in the Finance Ministry received the memorandum from the DA. The DDG says he will deliver it to the minister’s office as soon as possible.
“As you have seen in the agenda, the minister is busy with the MTBPs, Mr George is aware of, so he asked me as a deputy director general to come and collect this on his behalf. I hope it is not a sign of disrespect for you as the DA, I will relay the message to him but I have acknowledged your memorandum, I have signed for it and I will make sure that it reaches his office as soon as possible,” says Stadi Mngomezulu, Deputy Director General Treasury.
The DA calls on government to re-adjust the food basket impacting on the poor. It says the poor can no longer afford going to bed hungry.
