This petition was delivered to the Swazi Parliament on Friday, 16 March 2018.

1. The increased Value Added Tax (VAT) from 14 to 15% will deepen the economic difficulties for the poor Swazis.

2. Charging 15% VAT on electricity; That works against the government National Rural Development Programme initiatives.

3. Failure by the 2018/2019 National Budget to adhere to the Abuja Declaration and Framework Rollback on Health, signed in 2001 which clearly stipulates that Government must commit 15% to health.

Failure by the 2018/2019 National Budget to adhere to the Maputo Declaration signed in 2003 which government committed to allocating 10% of the national budget towards Agriculture and food security.

4. The 2018/2019 national budget did not adhere to principles of public inclusion and participation to achieve standards of transparency and accountability.

We, therefore, call on the parliament to REJECT the National Budget as tabled by the Minister of Finance and put in place a People\’s budget that will ensure inclusivity, transparency, and participation.