ACDP Opposes Rates Policy

Sharing his views on the rates policy recently, Clr Wayne Thring, the KZN provincial leader for the ACDP, raised a set of important objections the party has to the rates policy currently being implemented, with particular reference to the Ethekwini Municipality (Durban).

I quote directly from his speech, with "voting" referring to the councillors' vote on the policy:

• We were not given the rate randage figure at the time of voting
• We did not know what thresholds would be used for pensioners
• We were concerned about the effect of the policy on our farmers.
• We still do not know what effect the incidence issue will have on our rates base.
• There have been numerous anomalies in the valuation process
• Religious groups will have to apply for an exemption each year, but only on producing a tax exemption certificate from SARS.

(End quote.) These objections raise specific concerns. If you take a step backwards and look at the trends determined by the ANC's worldview, the rates policy fits right in with its socialist dogma. The objective of a socialist government is to transfer economic functions into the hands of a central administration. That obviously requires funding from taxpayers and in turn increases their dependency on the state. You will see similar trends in socialist-oriented countries, like Sweden with its high tax rates.

The ACDP pins its colours to the free market post, and believes that a transfer of economic functions to free market operations will see a rise in efficiency, a reduction in costs and a growth of services that can't be matched by a lumbering central administration.