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Fear lessl y the tr uth
Rural areas: FREE • Platteland: GRATIS
1 Maart 2013
Agri’s serious cost pressures
— Organised agri reacts to budget speech —
Greater Giyani Municipality
Chaos & Disorder Behold the GGM’s disorganised and chaotic worplace. The line of distinction between rubbish dump and work place seems blurred.
Read more on page 8.
“The minister of finance most certainly faced a serious challenge to balance limited income potential with the economic and social needs of the country,” says Mr Johannes Möller, president of AgriSA. “Quite clearly the minister, as in the past, tried to convince the public to enhance tax morality — a difficult task given the high levels of corruption and fraud still prevailing,” Möller added. The minister’s expressed intention to keep a tight control on expenditure is most certainly laudable especially since it enabled the minister not to increase tax. The improved transparency with regard to infrastructure spending, is also welcomed, he added. “We especially welcome the emphasis on the implementation of the national development plan. It will most certainly bring a degree of certainty to the business sector with respect to the future economic environment which will foster
investor confidence,” says Möller. From an agricultural perspective — a sector which is presently facing serious cost pressures — increases in fuel levies and excise duties can most certainly not be welcomed. Admittedly, the fuel levy increase was more subdued compared to what could have been the case given income constraints government is facing. In supplementary documentation to the budget speech mention is made of appropriations for border fencing, support for small scale farmers and flood disaster relief measures. These and other appropriations relevant to agriculture will be further interrogated by AgriSA. “The TAUSA understands the fact that the Minister did not have much room to move in his annual budget,” says Mr Louis Meintjies, the president of TAUSA. “However, TAUSA is most concerned about the increase in the public debt. If govern-
Shop manager gets bail
A Sleebok shop manager accused of fraud was granted R2 000 bail in the Tzaneen magistrates court. Linda Shingwenane (49), was arrested on Monday. She was the manager of the Sleebok shop in Danie Joubert Stree, Tzaneen. Shingwenane (left) allegedly de-
frauded customers by issuing incorrect invoices and pocketing the full amount of money paid for tombstones. She is accused of stealing R123 400. Meanwhile, the former senior manager of the Mopani District
Municipality, Itumeleng Letwaba (right), appeared in court again. She is currently out on a bail of R50 000. Letwaba is also accused of fraud. Her case was postponed to April. — Martina Jege
martina@bulletin.us.com
ment would curb State theft it would not be necessary to borrow money. “The labour unrest at Marikana and the Western Cape has caused the decline of foreign investments in the mining sector and investors are starting to withdraw. Agriculture is busy reorganizing. The higher wages in these two industries is more than likely to cost the country a loss of 300 000 to 500 000 jobs.” Government is making the country less competitive by its policies. The newly announced agricultural wage increases will contribute to make the country dependent on food imports, according to Meintjies. “The cost of doing business in the country becomes too high due to, amongst others, Eskom, whose costs are out of control. The high cost of Eskom services is starting to threaten food security. “TAUSA is of the opinion that the increase in fuel levies will be an economic damper, and especially the agricultural sector will be hit hard. Agriculture can make a significant contribution to ensure a high degree of economic stability as long as the sector is not utilised a guinea pig for failing political goals,” said Meintjes.