Chairperson, the ACDP will support this Budget Vote, but something significant was said earlier today, and that is that no portfolio committee had approached the Appropriations Committee with a suggestion to amend the Budget. I think it is significant that we as parliamentarians remember that, in terms of the Money Bills Amendment Act, we have that power.
Almost every portfolio committee, that I serve on has said there is not enough money, there is not enough money. We have the power, as a portfolio committees, to approach the Appropriations Committee with suggestions, which can then be submitted and discussed with the National Treasury.
We appreciate that it has been a speedy process this time but it is something for us to be mindful of, particularly when we look at the whole issue of reprioritisation of funds. We are aware that the departments need to reprioritise almost R40 billion in funds over the next three years. Surely, we as portfolio committees can also assist in this regard by looking at our particular budgets. We can not only look at savings and additional funds, but also at the reprioritisation of funds and approach the Appropriation Committee who will then argue the National Treasury on our behalf.
We need to emphasise that - I made the point again in the Defence Budget Vote the other day, where we all say, and I have said it for many years, that the Defence Force is not sufficiently budgeted, but we can't complain when we have the power to amend the budget. Thank you, Chair.