21 Feb 2021

Minister of Infrastructure and Housing Development, Mr Mmusi Kgafela says with various income streams slowed by the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, increased taxation has become important to gather funds for development.

Giving his views on the ongoing budget speech debate, Mr Kgafela, also Mochudi West Member of Parliament (MP), said taxes were important and governments across the world over many centuries had used them to generate revenue.

He said it was wrong for some MPs to suggest that the poor would bear the burden of taxation since government had ensured that low-income earners did not pay income tax, and that some basic goods were exempted from value added tax.

Regarding the development budget, Mr Kgafela said he was pleased that some road projects were planned, and pleaded with government to invest in the construction of the Mochudi-Malotwana road.

He said some roads across the country were in a poor state and needed an upgrade.

Mr Kgafela also lauded finance and economic development minister, Dr Thapelo Matsheka for ensuring that a good portion of the budget was invested in healthcare.

He said the refurbishment of the Makgophaneng Clinic would benefit residents in his constituency and asked for the Deborah Retief Hospital in Mochudi to be improved while his constituency awaits the construction of a new district hospital.

He also urged government to blacklist any private entrepreneur engaged in corrupt practices or found to have bribed public officials during the procurement process.

Adding her voice to the debate, Assistant Minister of Basic Education and Lentsweletau-Mmopane MP, Ms Nnaniki Makwinja said government should look at employing qualified procurement personnel to oversee government tendering processes instead of the current practice of utilising human resource practitioners who might not be specialists.

She said it would assist in curbing wastage in public funds during government projects which was identified in the budget speech as a major challenge.

Ms Makwinja also called on Parliament to work on strengthening the Public Procurement and Asset Disposal Board (PPADB) Act.

She further said the tax on imported second hand vehicles should not have been universally applied.

She said rather a carbon tax should have been instituted on vehicles that had been on the road for a long time since they pollute the environment more.

She also said more tax should be applied on high income earners, the wealthy and big businesses, with lower income groups exempted or protected with lower tax rates.

Ms Makwinja also complained about the condition of roads in her constituency, saying the construction of the Molepolole-Lentsweletau road was long overdue. ENDS