Eskom Debt Relief Bill: Committee Report

Meeting report

The Chairperson remarked that the Committee had been engaging with the 2023 Eskom Debt Relief Bill since the start of the term. The purpose of this meeting was to adopt the report on the Bill after a number of engagements with National Treasury and other stakeholders.

Motion of Desirability

The Committee Secretary, Mr Darrin Arends, was tasked to present the Motion of Desirability on the Eskom Debt Relief Bill. The Motion of Desirability was accepted with the abstention of the EFF and the objection of the DA.

Committee Secretary on Eskom Debt Relief Bill

The Committee Secretary flighted the draft report on a page-by-page basis. The only amendment was a minor change to paragraph 8.3 on page 18, i.e. ‘sounding’ in the last sentence was changed to ‘surrounding’.

The draft report was adopted with the abstention of the EFF and the objection of the DA.

The Chairperson indicated that the Bill would be referred to the National Assembly. A date for the debate is to be confirmed.

Read: ATC230428: Report of the Standing Committee on Appropriations on the Eskom Debt Relief Bill [B5 – 2023] (National Assembly – Section 77), Dated 28 April 2023

Announcement

The Committee Secretary advised that the meeting scheduled for 2 May 2023 would not be taking place. A notice was received from the Department of Transport, citing prior commitment with the Portfolio Committee on Transport. The next meeting with the Department of Basic Education is scheduled for 3 May 2023.

The Chairperson thanked Members for their input on the Bill. He thanked the support staff for providing the background work on the Bill.

The meeting was adjourned.