2022 Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement Programme

Meeting report

Opening comments
The Chairperson began by welcoming everyone, specifically the representatives of the legislatures, and then outlined the agenda for the meeting.

Apologies were given for the absence of Members, citing among them Ms Z Ncitha (ANC, Eastern Cape).

The Chairperson noted the complaints laid against the Committee for not meeting its targets on time and said that allocation of time is not up to the Committee, it is dependent on the legislation. She pleaded with Members to have patience and understanding in this regard.

She requested the secretary of the Committee, Mr Lubabalo Nodada, to take Members through the Medium Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS) programme.

Mid-Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS) programme
Mr Nodada requested to first start with the Committee programme before proceeding with the consolidated MTBPS programme.

The Chairperson interjected to remind Members that they are not authorised to change the programme of Parliament. The meeting would provide understanding of the sequence of events and what is expected of the Committee.

Mr Nodada began outlined the programme -   see attached

He noted that the meeting on 22 November 2022 had been moved to an afternoon slot.

He informed Members that when the said programme was drafted, it was done so being influenced by two dates: the date when the programme was tabled and the last date of the sitting National Council of Provinces (NCOP). Once the two dates were acknowledged, the Committee followed the guidelines of the Money Bills Act. He stressed that as the Committee, they should not exclude the provincial committees; they need to work closely with them.

The National Assembly and NCOP need to ensure they synchronise their programmes.

Mr D Ryder (DA, Gauteng) asked about the times of the meetings.

Mr Nodada confirmed that the meetings usually get convened after the caucuses have taken place to avoid any inconvenience. He also suggested that the meeting times are up for negotiation to help accommodate the Members' busy schedules. The process will end on 02 December 2022.

The Chairperson opened the floor for more questions.

Mr F Du Toit (FF+, North West) asked if the meetings with the provinces will be conducted virtually since dates and times have not been allocated and because of the tight schedule.

Mr Ryder agreed that they would honour their commitments as much as possible but it will be difficult because of availability of flights especially for Mondays and Fridays. He asked for the programme to be distributed as soon as possible to plan accordingly and book flights in advance.

Mr E Njadu (ANC, Western Cape) asked if the programmes have been considered by the office of the chair of chairs. He wants to make sure that there are no clashes.

Mr Nodada responded that the programme was submitted and approved by the chair of chairs.

Regarding convening virtual meetings, he is sure that the provinces will liase with the Members and discuss whether this is possible. He noted the comments and suggestions made by Mr Ryder.

The Chairperson confirmed that the provinces are meeting and planning for the programmes to ensure no one gets left behind.

She invited Members from the provinces to comment at this time. She suggested that Members allow virtual meetings to take place in these programmes to make it more convenient for all.

Mr M Moletsane (EFF, Free State) appreciated the smooth proceedings of the meeting so far. He stressed the importance of keeping the provinces in the loop regarding the programmes.

Committee minutes
Committee minutes dated 12 October 2022 were adopted.

The Chairperson extended thanks to all the present Members for attending the meeting. She subsequently adjourned the meeting.