LOBAMBA – Senator Tony Sibandze has called for urgent parliamentary intervention into the operations of the Eswatini Revenue Service (ERS) and the handling of supplier payments by the Treasury Department.
This, he said, is because there is a lot of unfairness or inequality in the manner in which the entities treat businesses and suppliers.
Speaking during the Senate Portfolio Committee debate on the Ministry of Finance, Sibandze, who is the Chairperson, indicated that he intends to move a motion for a formal probe into ERS. He stressed that Parliament cannot remain passive, while emaSwati continue to suffer the consequences of policies that were originally intended to protect them. “I am planning to move a motion that we can go and probe what is happening at ERS. We cannot allow emaSwati to die or fall sick because there is a law that we passed which is now frustrating emaSwati,” Sibandze said. A central issue raised in his submission was the persistent challenge surrounding the payment of suppliers, which he described as a major source of frustration for citizens and businesses alike. Sibandze criticised the recurring pattern in which the minister for Finance presents loan bills to Parliament under the premise that they are urgently required to settle outstanding payments to suppliers.
According to Sibandze, these loan bills often disrupt parliamentary business due to their urgency, yet fail to yield the intended results. “Every time the minister comes with a loan bill, we stop everything that we are doing because he says it is an urgent bill that is meant to pay suppliers. Days later, emaSwati rush to us to complain that they have not been paid,” he said. In light of these concerns, Sibandze called on the ministry to provide a comprehensive and transparent report detailing the utilisation of funds acquired through such loan bills.
He emphasised the need for clarity on how many emaSwati and companies have benefitted from these payments. “Minister, please give us a report, an analysis, that will detail all the loan bills that were tabled here under the guise that they are to secure money to pay suppliers, how many emaSwati were there, how many companies were paid,” he urged.
Sibandze further highlighted growing perceptions of inequality in the payment process, noting concerns that certain suppliers may be unfairly prioritised over others. He pointed to a widespread sentiment that larger, more influential companies are favoured, while smaller businesses - referred to as ‘bakantuthu’- are sidelined. “There is a concern that certain suppliers are discriminated. There is a feeling that the big guns are prioritised. ‘Bakantuthu’ are not prioritised,” he added.
Echoing these concerns, Senator Linda Nxumalo questioned whether the ministry has a sustainable, long-term solution to the ongoing delays in supplier payments.
She also sought assurances that funds secured through recently approved loans were indeed used for their stated purpose. Nxumalo warned that failure to pay suppliers has far-reaching consequences beyond immediate financial strain on businesses. “When you do not pay suppliers, you are killing investor confidence. Also, the image of the country needs to be one that is good enough to attract investors. There are international agencies that rate the country on different indexes. Once suppliers are not paid, the country’s image does not look good,” she said.
Responding on behalf of the Minister for Finance, Minister Appolo Maphalala acknowledged the concerns raised by the senators and agreed on the importance of transparency.
He welcomed the proposal for a detailed report on supplier payments, noting that it could help address public perceptions and clarify whether any discrimination exists in the system. “I think this will help in clearing a lot of narratives. The report will help in providing the answer to whether there is discrimination in the payment of suppliers,” Maphalala said.
He assured the Senate that the Ministry of Finance would prepare and present the requested report, signalling a commitment to addressing the issues raised and restoring confidence in the government’s financial management processes. On another note, Sibandze punched holes in the manner in which the ERS treats businesses.
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Eswatini Revenue Service Commissioner General Brightwell Nkambule (L) following proceedings.