The Week Ahead: Parliament passes the 2022 budget

The second term concludes for NCOP delegates.

From next week, they will join their NA counterparts who have been in recess since 13 June.

A big chunk of the year has been spent considering the 2022/23 national budget.

After the Minister of Finance introduces the budget, the legislature must interrogate the proposed allocation of funds and approve the budget before it can be implemented.

The NCOP is scheduled to consider the 2022 Appropriation Bill on Thursday (the NA passed the bill on 14 June 2022). The Bill appropriates money from the National Revenue Fund for the requirements of the state for the 2022/23 financial year. Once passed, this will conclude Parliament’s processing of the budget and it will be sent to the President for assent.

The Bill proposes a total Vote allocation of R1.057 trillion (excluding direct charges of R902.66 billion) for the 2022/23 financial year. 61% of the total budget is appropriated to the Departments of Cooperative Governance, Higher Education and Training, Social Development, Police and Transport mainly for free basic services, post-school education and training, social grants, crime prevention and investigation, and maintenance of the road transport network.

In its report to the National Assembly, the Standing Committee on Appropriations recommended that “all Portfolio Committees of the National Assembly ensure that no organ of state accountable to each Portfolio Committee underspend on appropriated funds. Underspending on Parliament’s appropriated funds undermines government policies and has a negative impact on the services that government provides to South Africans, and the impact is worse for the poor majority who are mostly dependent on various government services for their daily needs and survival”.

Parliament’s responsibility concerning the budget is an ongoing, rolling process throughout the financial year.

As part of the Women's Charter for Accelerated Development review process, the NCOP will host a virtual report back session with the Eastern Cape on Tuesday and another with the Northern Cape on Friday.

According to Parliament, “the intensive consultation process will culminate in the adoption of an improved policy and legislative oversight mechanisms, and interventions to remove all structural, institutional and cultural barriers to the realisation of gender equality in South Africa”.

The debate on the Provincial Week oversight report is one of the main agenda items during Tuesday’s House Sitting (2pm).

On Wednesday, delegates will attend a Midterm Policy Implementation Review workshop. Following the relaunch of the Parliamentary Constituency Office in Makanda Local Municipality earlier this year, the Speaker of the National Assembly will return to the area to host several report-back sessions with various stakeholders from Tuesday until Thursday. Meanwhile, the release of the final Zondo Commission Reports – on Monday – is a significant highlight. Parliament’s spokesperson previously stated that the legislature is obligated to “implement corrective measures” stemming from the report where it has a “role to play”. Below are some of the highlights in the committee corridor:

TUESDAY, 21 JUNE 2022

Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs, (National Assembly), [Briefing by Parliament Legal Services on granting of Constitutional Court Extension on the Electoral Amendment Bill [B1 – 2022]; Briefing by the Electoral Commission (IEC), Department of Home Affairs (DHA) and Parliament Legal Services on issues raised on the Electoral Amendment Bill during deliberations and further deliberations] Virtual Meeting Platform, 09:00-13:00

Select Committee on Finance, (National Council of Provinces), [Briefing by National Treasury and SARS on the Protocol Amending the Agreement between the Government of the Republic of South Africa and the Government of the State of Kuwait for the avoidance of double taxation and the prevention of fiscal evasion with respect to taxes on income and the formal ratification of the Multilateral Convention to implement tax treaty related measures to prevent base erosion and profit shifting (BEPS MLI)], Virtual Meeting Platform, 10:00-12:00

Select Committee on Trade and Industry, Economic Development, Small Business Development, Tourism, Employment and Labour, (National Council of Provinces), [Briefing by Department of Tourism on infrastructure projects highlighting the existing and discontinued projects. The briefing should also include evaluation and assessments of the existing projects; Consideration and adoption of outstanding Minutes and Draft Third Term Programme], Virtual Meeting Platform, 10:00-13:00

WEDNESDAY, 22 JUNE 2022

Select Committee on Appropriations, (National Council of Provinces), [Consideration of draft Reports on the: (i) Appropriation Bill [B7 – 2022] and Second Adjustments Appropriation (2021/22 Financial Year) Bill [B8 – 2022]], Virtual Meeting Platform, 09:00-12:00

Select Committee on Transport, Public Service and Administration, Public Works and Infrastructure, (National Council of Provinces), [Briefing by the Passenger Rail South Africa (PRASA) on the progress report in the modernisation of passenger rail and rehabilitation of the passenger rail network in 10 priority corridors], Virtual Meeting Platform, 10:00-13:00

The constituency period is an extended one. During this period, MPs have a duty to: be available to the public, help solve problems and report back to their constituents on what is happening in Parliament. The NCOP embarks on a constituency programme from 27 June to 01 August. The NA constituency programme runs from 13 June 2022 to 15 August 2022.

Committees provide a platform for the public to present views directly to MPs. Share your thoughts, on-the-ground experience and expert information to the relevant committees. Critically, what questions should MPs pose to the Executive as they conduct their oversight work? Write to a Parliamentary Committee.

View the schedule page here. View the Provincial Legislature's Schedule here.

*This summary is based on the schedule as it is published on Monday morning. The programme is subject to frequent updating so the link above needs to be checked daily to confirm the programme for the day.

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