Parliament should consider moving to Pretoria: Mboweni

Finance Minister Tito Mboweni says Parliament should consider moving to Pretoria in a bid to cut costs. Mboweni says the costs of flights to Cape Town and accommodation for Members of Parliament is mounting up.

He was briefing Cabinet on his Medium Term Budget Policy Statement, delivered on Wednesday. Parliamentarians suggested that the minister might solve the problem, by allowing some Parliamentarians to link up remotely from Johannesburg.

However, Mboweni says Parliament should debate a move. “The issue about video conferencing facilities is very helpful, it will cut this up and down business but it doesn’t solve the fundamental problem, Parliamentarians and the executive must agree to have one capital for the country and that might have to be Pretoria, so find a solution people please,  maybe we all go to Bloemfontein it will be better there.”

Meanwhile, Mboweni is sticking to his line that it is time for Gauteng motorists to pay their e-tolls. This is despite strong criticism of his stance from the Economic Freedom Fighters, Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse and others.

The EFF defied the minister’s call for motorists to pay e-tolls. In response, Mboweni said that Gauteng motorists must pay for services received.

“There’s a punch line, e-tolls, we have probably been communicating this matter wrongly. The Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project, which is aimed at managing the roads of Gauteng, improving the roads , removing congestion and for that improvement that’s what it’s all about really it’s a return on investment for our own benefit really.” Click below for more on the story: