It is a pity that the government, with its relaxation of certain Covid-19 containment regulations, has also not abandoned some of the “draconian regulations”, said acting DA leader John Steenhuisen.
He said in a DA internet broadcast on Friday afternoon that the government should treat South Africans like adults.
The party will announce plans on Saturday morning on how it believes the sale of beverages and cigarettes could continue. Under current regulations, this is prohibited.
Steenhuisen says there is no reason to panic now. There is still plenty of food.
Geordin Hill-Lewis, the DA spokeswoman for finance, who participated in the broadcast with Steenhuisen, says the restriction costs the South African economy about R13bn a day (and that doesn’t include people’s loss of income). This puts great strain on the government’s plans to fight the pandemic.
“That’s why we submitted a ‘smart plan’ to the government last week on how we think the pandemic should be handled,” Hill-Lewis says.
He says one of the first things the DA wants to happen is that in addition to the monthly welfare allowance, the government must pay extra money to some 17 million South Africans.
“It has to be done in cash to make sure the money is used to stimulate the economy. The government will get back some of the money through VAT. ”
It is also important that SMEs receive financial assistance from the government as soon as possible. This can be paid out by the South African Revenue Service (SARS) systems.
Many of these companies, which do not earn any income due to the restriction, desperately need money to pay their workers’ salaries. Many companies have no more than a month’s reserves and therefore need urgent help.
