19 Sep 2022

Late payment to suppliers negatively affects the investment of businesses and cripples the country’s economy, says Minister of Finance and Economic Development, Ms Peggy Serame.

Addressing Ghanzi revenue staff last week, she said late payments adversely affected the growth of businesses, which helped government to grow the economy.

She also said delayed payments could render businesses insolvent thereby denying the country economic and revenue opportunities.

Ms Serame told the revenue staff that they had the responsibility to facilitate business growth particularly after the financial and economic slowdown triggered by COVID-19 and worsened by the Ukraine/Russia war. She noted that the war increased commodity prices.

She urged revenue collectors to efficiently perform their duties as it would help government to pursue its developmental obligations and to pay salaries of its workers.

The minister urged revenue officers to increase their productivity, saying they should be accountable and responsible as well as having Botho in executing their mandate.

She advised them to keep abreast with policies and changes affecting the Ministry of Finance as they were the implementers.

She said they encouraged the use of point of sale machines to avoid employees physically handling cash. She said the digitisation project would help them and that the Reset Agenda should be embraced by all.

Ms Serame said because of the Reset Agenda some jobs would become irrelevant hence she urged officers to retool in order to remain relevant. She also encouraged them to establish businesses to supplement their income, clarifying that they were only prohibited from tendering and not to have businesses.

Minister Serame also advised revenue staff not to be accomplices of criminals who broke into revenue offices and stole cash or transit heists.

Assistant accountant general, Ms Mary Tsheko said they operated from two different places due to shortage of office space in Ghanzi. She called for the refurbishment and repurposing of the supplies depot so that they could operate from one premise.

She assured the minister that all security measures were in place in Ghanzi.

She, however, said due to lack of commercial banks in the district they transported lots of money which posed the risk of transit robberies. She urged the minister to encourage the business community to consider establishing a bank in Charleshill.

Chairperson of the Ghanzi revenue staff welfare committee, Ms Kefilwe Ramaretlwa said shortage of staff was a major concern that needed prompt attention.

She said although they had adequate staff houses, lack of maintenance was a challenge. She said there was no maintenance plan in place.

For his part, the Ghanzi treasury cashier, Mr Modiri Serope said the business- community had embraced the point of sale and Pula card initiatives. Ends