News / National
Farmers expect Chinamasa to scrap the tobacco levy
20 Nov 2016 at 12:46hrs | Views
Zimbabwe Commercial Farmers' Union president Wonder Chabikwa said they expected Chinamasa to scrap the 1,5% tobacco levy, which he said was suffocating farmers.
He said the budget must support agriculture to help in the revival of the economy.
"The Africa Union declaration that all countries should have 10% of their budgets going towards agriculture must be respected," he said.
Zimbabwe Miners Federation CEO Wellington Takavarasha said the minister must allocate funds for the formalisation of artisanal mining.
"We require about $50 million as small-scale miners for [the] formalisation [exercise] and $20 million for processing plants for every region," he said.
"We also require about $15 million for chrome smelters.
"We need policies that address our issues as small-scale miners."
Denford Mutashu, the Confederation of Zimbabwe Retailers president, said Chinamasa's budget must stimulate local production and also adequately fund social services.
"Government must increase budget allocations to critical sectors like health [as] the retail sector relies on a healthy and fit populace," he said.
"The multi-currency [regime]must be allowed to continue despite the introduction of bond notes as that will maintain confidence."
In his mid-term budget review, Chinamasa proposed a raft of measures that included the scrapping of bonuses for civil servants and reducing some of their allowances, but Cabinet reversed the move.
However, Ashok Chakrvarti, a local economist said it was still important for the minister to address the government's high wage bill, which gobbles most of its revenues.
"There has to be a dialogue at the highest level and that is from the Office of the President to labour and business," he said.
"The government has to say that it is broke, the private sector has been doing it [cutting salaries and rationalising staff]."
Chakrvarti also urged a review of government fees, licences, permits, regulations and restrictions to stimulate the economy.
Since dollarisation, Chinamasa has been presenting annual budgets of $4 billion, with 75% of the money going towards salaries for civil servants.
He said the budget must support agriculture to help in the revival of the economy.
"The Africa Union declaration that all countries should have 10% of their budgets going towards agriculture must be respected," he said.
Zimbabwe Miners Federation CEO Wellington Takavarasha said the minister must allocate funds for the formalisation of artisanal mining.
"We require about $50 million as small-scale miners for [the] formalisation [exercise] and $20 million for processing plants for every region," he said.
"We also require about $15 million for chrome smelters.
"We need policies that address our issues as small-scale miners."
Denford Mutashu, the Confederation of Zimbabwe Retailers president, said Chinamasa's budget must stimulate local production and also adequately fund social services.
"The multi-currency [regime]must be allowed to continue despite the introduction of bond notes as that will maintain confidence."
In his mid-term budget review, Chinamasa proposed a raft of measures that included the scrapping of bonuses for civil servants and reducing some of their allowances, but Cabinet reversed the move.
However, Ashok Chakrvarti, a local economist said it was still important for the minister to address the government's high wage bill, which gobbles most of its revenues.
"There has to be a dialogue at the highest level and that is from the Office of the President to labour and business," he said.
"The government has to say that it is broke, the private sector has been doing it [cutting salaries and rationalising staff]."
Chakrvarti also urged a review of government fees, licences, permits, regulations and restrictions to stimulate the economy.
Since dollarisation, Chinamasa has been presenting annual budgets of $4 billion, with 75% of the money going towards salaries for civil servants.
Source - the standard
