Parliament takes next step in budget process looking at Appropriations Bill

CAPE TOWN - Parliament’s standing committee on appropriations has on Wednesday continued with the next steps in the national budget process, with a first look at the Appropriations Bill. 

This is despite the unresolved matter of the value-added tax (VAT) hike, which will be used to fund the R2.3 trillion budget. 

Except for the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party, political parties have not taken major issue with the allocations made to the State’s 42 departments. 

However, the committee has taken a dim view of neither the finance minister nor his two deputies showing up at the meeting. 

As the National Treasury officials took the standing committee through the key expenditure in the bill, chairperson Mmusi Maimane was supported by members in taking exception to the absence of political principals to discuss the concerns.

“It’s important that we engage with the executive even on some of the political issues, otherwise you create the impression that ultimately arrangements can be made elsewhere, whereas actually, Parliament must exercise its duty.”  

The Appropriations Bill has to be passed by Parliament within four months of the start of the new financial year. 

The standing committee has, in the past, not been known for making any significant changes to the spending allocations.

The MK Party’s Wesley Douglas said his party rejected the bill. 

“It’s an anti-poor budget. It’s a budget that breaks people.” 

The committee has already considered the Division of Revenue Bill, which will be the first of the money bills to be voted upon next month.

The bill allocates money to provincial governments and municipalities and, by law,  must be passed within 35 days of adopting the fiscal framework.