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IT SEEMS the government has at last heard the cries of South Africans and cut government officials’ expenses.
This comes after it emerged that cabinet ministers and other government officials are leading opulent lifestyles, while the people who work hard to pay them suffer tremendously.
This week the National Treasury, as part of its strategy to cut government expenses and lessen the budget deficit, said it will not issue any new credit cards to cabinet members.
Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan said credit cards that have been issued to cabinet executives and national, provincial and local government officials will be cancelled instantly.
These strict new regulations were part of his mini budget, which was announced on Wednesday.
Other expense reduction plans include cost restrictions on official cars. More importantly, Gordhan said government officials would have to maintain cars for their personal use at own expense. In addition, only ministers will be permitted to travel business class on flights.
Ministers waiting for accommodation will only be housed in rented residences and not in expensive hotels. I hope he will continue to make more of these changes even in the next budget presentation early next year. He should not stop there.
But I think that the government should also re-look the strong arm tactics that the South African Revenue Service (Sars) uses to collect revenue.
Sars has used these tactics at a time when taxpayers (and not a few of them either) complain that they do not get value for the money they pay government in taxes.
They continue to see a police force near death that cannot quell workers' strikes and widespread child rapes efficiently.
They are seeing amateurish politicians who chow R53 000 in fast food and drive the best possible cars with taxpayers' money.
The government collects billions annually from taxpayers - yet there is government incompetence all round and the people are getting almost nothing.
Instead, some of thriving businesses in townships and other areas continue to collapse in a heap leaving many people unemployed, owing to Sars' strong arm tactics.
I personally do not think it is Sars’ mandate to impoverish people and close small businesses because they owe the taxman.
It should find ways and means of helping businesses to continue to operate, while allowing them to pay back taxes in instalments.
I know of a case where a hard-working parent had saved money for the university education of his son, but Sars raided his account one day and took nearly R20 000 at a go.
And I am sure this is not an isolated case.
This was hard on a person who had failed to submit returns for three consecutive years because his nasty employer would not allow him to take a day off.
His son, as a result, could not go to college. The son is sitting pretty at home, unemployed and not studying.
As much as we appreciate the fact the government is trying to look after our money, it should also change the manner in which it collects money. Do not be too harsh.
- Fin24
*Mzwandile Jacks is a freelance journalist. Opinions expressed are his own.
This comes after it emerged that cabinet ministers and other government officials are leading opulent lifestyles, while the people who work hard to pay them suffer tremendously.
This week the National Treasury, as part of its strategy to cut government expenses and lessen the budget deficit, said it will not issue any new credit cards to cabinet members.
Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan said credit cards that have been issued to cabinet executives and national, provincial and local government officials will be cancelled instantly.
These strict new regulations were part of his mini budget, which was announced on Wednesday.
Other expense reduction plans include cost restrictions on official cars. More importantly, Gordhan said government officials would have to maintain cars for their personal use at own expense. In addition, only ministers will be permitted to travel business class on flights.
Ministers waiting for accommodation will only be housed in rented residences and not in expensive hotels. I hope he will continue to make more of these changes even in the next budget presentation early next year. He should not stop there.
But I think that the government should also re-look the strong arm tactics that the South African Revenue Service (Sars) uses to collect revenue.
Sars has used these tactics at a time when taxpayers (and not a few of them either) complain that they do not get value for the money they pay government in taxes.
They continue to see a police force near death that cannot quell workers' strikes and widespread child rapes efficiently.
They are seeing amateurish politicians who chow R53 000 in fast food and drive the best possible cars with taxpayers' money.
The government collects billions annually from taxpayers - yet there is government incompetence all round and the people are getting almost nothing.
Instead, some of thriving businesses in townships and other areas continue to collapse in a heap leaving many people unemployed, owing to Sars' strong arm tactics.
I personally do not think it is Sars’ mandate to impoverish people and close small businesses because they owe the taxman.
It should find ways and means of helping businesses to continue to operate, while allowing them to pay back taxes in instalments.
I know of a case where a hard-working parent had saved money for the university education of his son, but Sars raided his account one day and took nearly R20 000 at a go.
And I am sure this is not an isolated case.
This was hard on a person who had failed to submit returns for three consecutive years because his nasty employer would not allow him to take a day off.
His son, as a result, could not go to college. The son is sitting pretty at home, unemployed and not studying.
As much as we appreciate the fact the government is trying to look after our money, it should also change the manner in which it collects money. Do not be too harsh.
- Fin24
*Mzwandile Jacks is a freelance journalist. Opinions expressed are his own.
