Public called to send in annual "Tips for Trevor"
The National Treasury has invited all South Africans to send in their tips to Finance Minister Trevor Manuel on what they think should be included in his Budget Speech next month.
The campaign – Tips for Trevor - is run throughout the year and the tips received assist the minister in understanding public sentiment on government's macro-economic policies before the Budget Speech on 20 February 2008.
According to Treasury, over 600 tips dealing with a wide variety of economic issues ranging from tax, macro-economic policies, to social and light hearted issues were received following Manuel's 2007 Budget Speech.
Past surveys run by BuaNews indicated that some people wanted more money to be channelled to health for the building of more clinics and hospitals, whilst others thought using financial resources to battle crime should top the ministry's agenda.
An unemployed father of three, Thabo Marumo, told BuaNews that more money should be channelled towards education to ensure that no one is excluded from studying because of a lack of funds.
"These days, education is expensive and most of us cannot afford to send our children to school especially at tertiary level. Bursaries should be allocated to the deserving needy," said Marumo.
The much-awaited annual Budget Speech is a roadmap indicating what aspects of life in South Africa the government has prioritised in terms of financial resources.
The Tips for Trevor campaign is run in order to ensure government spending is in line with what is expected from the South African public and gauges issues including education, social services, health, job creation, and taxes.
The Ministry has urged all South Africans to participate in the campaign and said tips can be sent to Manuel via email on , or by fax on (012) 315 5126.
Article published courtesy of BuaNews
