Endorse the 2013 Call for Budget Justice

[Mark Weinberg @ AIDC]

Dear comrades & friends, 

Apologies for cross posting and for the late notice, we have just finalised this year's Call for Budget Justice and would like you to consider endorsing the 2013 Call. 

Tomorrow, on the eve of Minister Gordhan's 2013 Budget Speech civil society organisations will hold a Night Vigil for Budget Justice and present the 2013 Call to the Ministry of Finance on the pavement outside Parliament from 17h30. 

Please consider endorsing the 2013 Call attached and online here: http://tinyurl.com/BudgetJustice2013. Email your organisations endorsement to phmsa.o...@gmail.com before 3pm tomorrow (Tues 27 Feb). 

In summary, the 2013 Call for Budget Justice demands a budget that will give adequate scope to the state to address structural inequality and poverty and create an environment for ecological development.

This would entail abandoning the 25% tax to GDP ratio and deficit hawkishness that have been the standard since democracy. Government must fund this budget through a just redistribution strategy that increases taxes for rich individuals and corporations, clamps down on tax-dodgers and broadens the tax base by addressing inequality.

We call for an open and accountable budget that recognises the right to know, gives meaning to participatory democracy and prioritises the realisation of the promises of the constitution.

We call for a budget that directly creates tens of thousands of decent jobs through a climate change adaptation and mitigation strategy that expands renewable energy generation, creates energy saving infrastructure, protects water resources and promotes food security. We demand our right to free education by abandoning fees and expanding school infrastructure. We demand our right to healthcare by creating the fiscal space for an expansive and efficient National Health Insurance program with sufficient human and administrative resources. We call for a budget to strengthen the social welfare system on which so many rely for survival by a social solidarity strategy that increase grants above official inflation, implements a basic income grant, ends the under spending in the UIF and increases basic service allocations.

We call for a budget that acknowledges and develops a strategic response to the crisis of violence against women in South Africa. This entails: expanding resources and GBV training for relevant departments, welfare organisations and the justice system; provide funds for the professional empowerment of women and sexual ‘minorities’; and implement mechanisms to ensure effective monitoring and evaluation of government responses.

South Africa's wealth belongs to all who live in it. Government must collect taxes and spend money to ensure that everyone lives a life of dignity. 

Please share widely. 

Forward to Budget Justice, 

Mark

PS, For background view the first (2012) Call for Budget Justice here: http://www.politicsweb.co.za/politicsweb/view/politicsweb/en/page71654?oid=281655&sn=Detail&pid=71654 

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Mark Weinberg
NEW CELL 0849930591. 

ma...@aidc.org.za

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