By Zweli Martin Dlamini
Africa-Press – Eswatini. Neal Rijikernberg, the Minister of Finance normally runs to the media to announce that, Government has secured loans or receipts from the South African Customs Union(SACU) saying “we will now pay Government suppliers”.
But the reality on the ground suggests that, companies owned by emaSwati are financially struggling, the Eswatini Revenue Service(ERS) is hard on these corporate entities grabbing everything while on the other hand, Government is delaying to pay for services rendered.
It is therefore important to warn the Honorable Minister of Finance to stop being hypocritical but he must speak reality.
Indeed, lying about the payment of suppliers creates more financial problems for the eSwatini owned companies because their service providers as well, will vigorously demand payment based on false information suggesting that, “they have been paid by eSwatini Government”.
But apart from that, the Siphofaneni-Siphambanweni R2.5billion road to be constructed with a loan sourced from the African Development Bank(ADfB) must benefit emaSwati, taxpayers will pay back the money and we can’t have such a huge project that will dig deeper into our pockets and then, emaSwati benefit nothing from it.
It doesn’t matter who among the eSwatini construction companies will secure the tender as long as the R2.5billion circulates in eSwatini, by extension thousands of citizens will benefit from this money through subcontracts, jobs and the provision of building material.
Furthermore, banks will also benefit as the more local companies benefit from such projects through subcontracts, they will definitely secure loans and/or “overdrafts” from financial institutions.
But we have giant construction companies in this country, the tender must be awarded to a local company and then if a need arise, a foreign company can sub-contract and provide expertise or skills that cannot be acquired locally.
In this country, money is fast becoming scarce and we can’t have such huge projects used to launder our money to foreign accounts and then be told that, these are loan requirements.
Neal Rijikernberg and Public Works Minister Chief Ndlaluhlaza Ndwandwe must tell us what they stand to benefit from this project by sidelining construction companies owned by emaSwati.
The excuse suggesting that, these are African Development Bank loan conditions is misinformed and discriminatory, emaSwati must not be made to ‘bite fingers’, watch a foreign company constructing this road and walk away with billions leaving emaSwati poor.
As mentioned, this loan will be paid by emaSwati and therefore, Government is better positioned to negotiate the relaxation of the loan conditions in favour of eSwatini companies.
We are fresh from the corruption oriented R5.2billion Strategic Oil Reserve Project that was awarded to a Taiwan company and now, another project is strategically being delivered to foreign capitalists in a silver plate.
It’s true that, we need foreign companies so that we could enhance skills and have quality infrastructure but, the priority should be to empower emaSwati and this could be done through Joint Ventures or subcontracts.
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