Why don’t you come to the party?

The minister of finance Calle Schlettwein, during his meeting with the private sector at the close of last week, said that the taxpayer must come to the party otherwise civil service delivery, also in health and education, must be cut.

It is estimated that Schlettwein’s tax reforms will inject around N$500 million into the state coffers.

The Namibian consumer is under immense pressure – seen in almost every report, whether building plans or private sector credit extension, car sales and real estate.

On Friday, Namib Mills announced a price increase in all their products – staples for the Namibian family. Utterly beyond their control.

Namibia and its citizens are now paying the price for decades of doing nothing. We are still at the mercy of decisions made elsewhere, by whomever, and probably individuals that know nothing about Namibia.

We are reliant on imports – for almost everything.

We are reliant on peace in oil-producing areas so that we can afford fuel.

We are reliant on South Africa’s politics to ensure that our currency has any value at all.

We are also reliant on labour security and balance in South Africa to make sure we have electricity.

We are reliant on the economies of strong countries so that we can give effect to HIV and Aids treatments.

We export raw materials only to reimport a refined product of what we have produced.

We are reliant on rain to produce any kind of food.

We are at the mercy of those role players who are not in our country.

And now, the cash-strapped Namibian citizen is expected to fund the already over-burdened civil service, which, by the way, has not yet been cut.

We are expected to fund benefits, fuel, rates and taxes and what not, of our ministers and former presidents.

The state wants the citizen to come to the party. When, we ask, will the state take a step forward towards us?