Committee Reports; Programme for Budget hearings

Meeting report

JOINT BUDGET COMMITTEE
17 February 2004
COMMITTEE REPORTS; PROGRAMME FOR BUDGET HEARINGS

Chairpersons: Mr N Nene (ANC) [NA]; Mr T Ralane (ANC) [NCOP]

Documents handed out
Committee Report on Budget of South African Human Rights Commission
Committee Annual Report for 2003
Draft Committee Programme for 2004 (see Appendix 1)

SUMMARY
The Committee effected certain technical amendments to the its 2003 Annual Report before adopting it, and also adopted the Report on the Budget of the South African Human Rights Commission and the Committee's Draft Programme for 2004.

MINUTES
Briefing on Budget Process
Mr Nene stated that many Members have requested information on this in light of the fact that Parliament was breaking early on 27 February 2004 , and the agenda for these was spelt out in the Draft Programme (document attached). The new Parliament would then resuscitate the Appropriations Bill and would begin with the second reading debate.

The Chair asked whether the Committee planned to have a farewell party on 27 February.

Mr Nene replied that both he and the Co-Chair would have to discuss this matter.

Committee Annual Report 2003
Ms C Botha (DA) [NCOP] stated that she had noticed certain grammatical and spelling mistakes in the Report, and she could provide a list of these to the Committee Section to be incorporated into the Report.

The Chair noted that the Committee agreed that the Report factually represented the work done by the Committee during 2003, and the typographical errors could be corrected. He noted that the Committee adopted the Report.

Report on South African Human Rights Commission Report
Mr Nene reminded Members that the Committee had fully considered this Report (document attached) in 2003, and the only reason the Report was not adopted then was that a quorum was not constituted. There was thus no need to deliberate on this matter at all, as the Committee had already decided to approve the Report. Any typographical errors could simply be corrected.

The Chair noted that Members agreed to the adoption of the Report.

Draft Committee Programme for 2004
The Chair noted that the Committee agreed to this Draft Programme (document awaited) subject to the correction that the First Reading of the Bill would take place on 27 February 2004 and not on 2 March as indicated in the Programme.

The meeting was adjourned.


Appendix 1
Draft Committee Report for 2004

JOINT BUDGET COMMITTEE