28 January 2004

The National Treasury has once more invited members of the public to give Finance Minister Trevor Manuel tips on how they want the country's money to be spent.

The department of finance launched its latest Tips for Trevor campaign at the weekend to give South Africans from all walks of life a chance to write to the minister with advice on what they would like to see in the Budget for the 2004/2005 fiscal year.

How to send your Tips: E-mail your suggestions to tipsfortrevor@treasury.gov.za, post them electronically on the Tips for Trevor page, or fax them to (021) 465-5950.

According to ministry spokesman Thoraya Pandy, some of the suggestions made by the public will be referred to by the minister when he presents his Budget speech in Parliament in Cape Town on 18 February.

The Treasury takes the public's suggestions very seriously, Pandy said. Manuel reads all the suggestions himself, and in some cases forwards them to different sections within the department. Last year, Pandy said, Manuel invited two members of the public who had forwarded tips to a meeting to discuss their suggestions.

"Before last year's speech, more than 1 500 South Africans from diverse corners of the country offered their advice to the minister", Pandy said.

"Many gave technical advice on tax issues and spending, while others found the time to think through innovative and creative suggestions. In Cape Town, an organisation in an area called Vrygrond went as far as organising a 'Tips for Trevor' workshop to draw on suggestions from their community for the minister."

Last year's Budget - or was it the year before? - according to leading South African political cartoonist Zapiro

Of course, the Cabinet ultimately takes decisions about government spending, which is channelled to priority areas of the country – especially social services, education, infrastructure development, debt payment and safety and security, among others.

The Tips for Trevor campaign was launched five years ago after a radio station SAfm invited its listeners to phone in and provide tips for the Budget.

The National Treasury runs the campaign on its website throughout the year. Since last year's Budget speech, some of the ideas put to the minister include a freeze on salaries and wages as a short-term measure to create jobs, higher taxes on guns, and tax relief on school fees.

SouthAfrica.info reporter

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