Sihlalo mandikhahlele kuwe, kwiinkokheli ezisuka kwiSebe lezeMali ezikhokelwe nguMphathiswa uGordhan neSekela lakhe uMnu Nene, kuMlawuli-jikelele weli sebe, nakuwo onke amagosa eli sebe kunye neendwendwe - ukuba sele zifikile kuba ingathi bezingekabonakali ngokuya bekuthetha usihlalo wekomiti.
Ezinye zezinto eziza kwenziwa nguNondyebo weSizwe, njengoko zicacisiwe kwisahluko sesi-2 soMthetho woLawulo lweMali yoLuntu, kukuqinisekisa ukuba imali kunye nezixhobo zaseburhulumenteni ziphathwa zize zisetyenziswe ngendlela efanelekileyo.
Indlela ekuphathwa ngayo izixhobo zikarhulumente ixhomekeke kwizinto ezininzi ezifana nezoqoqosho, imithetho yezoqoqosho nenkcitho-mali. NgokukaNondyebo weSizwe uqoqosho luza kukhula ngomyinge oyi-2,3% kulo nyaka, lusiya phaya kwi-3,2% ngowama-2011. Iziqhamo zokonyuka kwamaxabiso zikwizinga elifanelekileyo. Ezoqoqosho nezorhwebo zomhlaba ziyonyuka kwaye ezemisebenzi zikwizinga elingaxhalabisiyo noko. Inzala ngoku kwingxowa-mali yesizwe likwimo ezinzileyo, kwaye kulindeleke ukuba libe ku-4,9% ngowama- 2010 xa silithelekisa no-7,1% kunyaka wama-2008.
Iinzame zikaSars zineziqhamo ezihle. Iibhiliyoni ezisi-8 ezilityala kwingxowa-mali yesizwe yi-6,8% ye-GDP ngeli thuba. Kuza kuchitwha ngaphezulu kwemali engama-R845 eebhiliyoni ukugcina izinga lezinto eziphethwe ngurhulumente lisemgangathweni. Olo lutyalo-mali kwizixhobo eziluncedo zikarhulumente.
Ngokubhekisele kwizivumelwano zikarhulumente malunga nokudala amathuba emisebenzi kunye nemfuneko yokwakha ngokutsha ezoqoqosho, ezi zinto zilandelayo zibonisa ubungozi obunokuthi bubekhona kwezoqoqosho: ukonyuka kwemivuzo namaxabiso e-oli; ukugcina impahla karhulumente isemgangathweni; iimveliso ezingasetyenziswanga ziza kugcinwa zikwizinga elizinzileyo kulo nyaka uzayo; ukukhula kancinane koqoqosho lwezomhlaba kuthetha ukuba kufuneka sigcine ityala kwingxowa-mali yesizwe lingaphezulu kwe-MTEF. Ukongeza apho amatyala akhule ukusuka ku-2,4% ngowama-2009-10 ukuya ku-3,2% ngowama-2012-13 kwaye oku kuza kuba nesiphumo esibi kwingxowa-mali yesizwe.(Translation of isiXhosa paragraphs follows.)
[Dr Z LUYENGE: Chairperson, let me salute you, the leaders from the Department of Finance led by hon Minister Gordhan and his Deputy Mr Nene, the director-general of the department, all the officials of this department and distinguished guests - if they have arrived for they had not yet arrived when the committee chairperson was speaking.
One of the things that the National Treasury will do, as illustrated in Chapter 2 of the Public Finance Management Act, is to ensure that government finances are managed in a proper manner.
The manner in which government assets are managed depends on various issues such as the economy, laws governing the economy and expenditure. According to the National Treasury, the economy will grow by 2,3% this fiscal year and by 3,2% in 2011. The inflation rates are at an appropriate level. The economy and the industry are growing globally and unemployment has not reached alarming proportions. Interest rates are now stable and are expected to be at 4,9% in 2010 compared to 7,1% in 2008.
The efforts by Sars are yielding good results. Eight billion rand is the nation's debt costs and is equal to 6,8% of the gross domestic product at this point in time. More than R845 billion will be spent on maintaining the standard of government assets. This is an investment in assets that are more valuable to the government.
With regard to government agreements about job creation and economic renewal, the following indicate dangers that could affect our economy: salary and oil price increases; maintenance of government assets; products that have not been utilised will be kept in good condition for next year; the sluggish global economic growth means that we need to keep our national debt above the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework, MTEF, and to supplement where debts have increased from 2,4% in 2009 to 3,2% in 2012-13, as this will have negative effects on the national coffers.]
With regard to its strategy, the National Treasury will focus on the following areas: It will provide the appropriate support to the economy as the global economy recovers, while reducing government borrowing over the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework, MTEF, period; support aggregate demand through its monetary and fiscal policy stance, while foreign demand recovers; have a fiscal exit strategy to prudently reduce the impact of high borrowing on future growth prospects to derive value for money in all public expenditures and enhance control measures in awarding tenders; provide sustainable long-term public finance support to critical needs such as electricity supply, public transport, community development and regional development; ensure that the new budget process with Parliament works effectively; support labour-intensive industries through industrial policy, investment in and improved maintenance of network industries; raise productivity and competitiveness by reducing the regulatory hurdles and red tape; increase access for private investment and participation in critical input markets; and raise savings and investments through responsible fiscal management.
An assessment of these focus areas shows consistency with the overall government priorities as defined in the President's state of the nation address of 2010. They must, however, be looked at against the ANC's priorities as the ruling party for the next 5 years, in particular how these affect the management of the country's assets and liabilities.
The ANC's priorities within the management of assets and liabilities and Treasury's focus on an assessment of the management of these assets have to be done by looking at the extent to which they support the ANC's agenda within a developmental state.
The ANC's key priorities are the creation of decent work and sustainable livelihoods, education, health, rural development, food security and land reform as well as the fight against corruption. Achievement of these priorities will require massive resources which will result in an expansion of public spending by the state. The expansion of public spending does not contradict our new economic growth path approach embedded in the understanding of a developmental state. It is a state that will guide national economic development and mobilise domestic and foreign capital and other social partners to achieve the goal of ensuring that all South Africans, especially the poor, experience an improvement in their quality of life. This view is contained in Building a National Democratic Society, in Strategy and Tactics of the