07 Feb 2016

Tati East MP, Mr Samson Guma, has thanked the Minister of Finance and Development for what he termed ‘a good budget.’

Debating budget proposals for the 2016/2017 financial year , Mr Guma said Minister Kenneth Matambo had maintained strong fiscal discipline under difficult challenges.

He also appreciated that this year’s budget was informed by the tenth National Development Plan (NDP 10) which was adopted in 2008 and linked to Vision 2016.

He said the NDP 10 faced a lot of challenges resulting from the global economic meltdown, among them unemployment and poverty.

“Government took a deliberate decision in 2008 to come up with programmes and that it is the same document that helped the minister to put up such a disciplined budget. The budget is very conservative and tight and informed by challenges that the country is faced with which include slowdown in the revenues, unemployment, drought and alias remained strict and tight,” he said.

Again, Mr Guma commended Minister Matambo saying what he had presented was comforting “because these are difficult times and that the world economy is also not performing, minerals are on the decline, eminent drought hence the need to be disciplined.”

Furthermore, he said for government to have come up with the Economic Stimulus Programme (ESP) was no different from action taken in 2008 where more funds were injected into the economy. 

“Government was faced with either cutting down jobs but did not make such a move but instead cut on infrastructural projects and put more money on banking. Be that as it may, there is hope. We have attempted to as much as possible distribute funds equitably and that is commendable,” he said.

He added that the ESP was more of effective delivery of the NDP 10 projects and accelerating them, adding there was no way the minister would have come up with any other project that was never approved by Parliament.

“You have taken projects that were deferred and pushed them up until the current financial year. You will in July bring NDP 11 which is a continuation of NDP 10 and hence the ESP and those projects must be targeted. The process of budgeting and consultation had taken place,” he said.

Meanwhile, he indicated that MPs had the responsibility to interrogate the proposed budget, make amendments and suggestions. 

However, he said the NDP 11 would be faced with liquidity issues owing to possible dwindling of diamonds and tax revenues.  

As such, he suggested that the minister should look into doing away with non-performing assets as well as parastatals and covert such into cash to reduce unnecessary expenditure, arguing that when faced with liquidity issues there was need to look into things that can be disposed of.

On challenges facing his constituency, Mr Guma said efforts must be made to look for permanent solutions to fight foot and mouth disease in the area. 

“People of Matsiloje, Matopi, Matshelagabedi and Ditladi and others, are asking us to work together to look for a permanent solution to fight the FMD, and even look into finding ways which we can live with elephants and other animals in that area because they also bring in another source of revenue through tourism,” he said. Ends