<\/p>\n
Cape Town – Parliamentarians were angered by Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana\u2019s request to be excused mid-way from the meeting where he was to brief committees about the 2023 budget on Thursday.<\/p>\n
They said it was unfair for Godongwana to leave matters to the officials, and also complained that their oversight role was being undermined.<\/p>\n
This happened when he appeared before the joint meeting of the standing and select committees on finance and appropriations.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy apology is that I am going to the G20 meeting today. I will ask to be released at about 11.30, an hour from now,\u201d Godongwana said.<\/p>\n
Freedom Front Plus MP Stephanus du Toit said Godongwana always left their virtual meetings before they finished. <\/p>\n
He said it would help in future that there be a lock-up session when the budget was tabled for them to scrutinise the presentation, so that Godongwana could pay attention to their questions.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think it will benefit all for us to be allowed an opportunity to engage in a manner where all questions are answered, and the minister be allowed to fulfil his duties to account to MPs,\u201d Du Toit said.<\/p>\n
DA MP Dennis Ryder said they only get to see the minister for a \u201cvery brief period\u201d in their joint meetings, and it would be much more helpful if they could really engage with the minister.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo leave matters in the hands of officials is really unfair to them. It is unfair to us and South Africans. The minister needs to subject himself to oversight of the committees,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
DA MP Dion George said having such a short time was not acceptable, and that there should be another session.<\/p>\n
\u201cParliament is an important institution, and it appears that it does not receive the priority it deserves,\u201d George said.<\/p>\n
Sfiso Buthelezi, standing committee on appropriations chairperson, said the point raised was valid.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe definitely are going to get a session with the minister where we must have more time after this presentation,\u201d Buthelezi said.<\/p>\n
His ruling paved the way for National Treasury officials to make presentations.<\/p>\n
During the question session, Du Toit wanted to know why the tax incentives were kept at R15 000 for individuals installing rooftop panels, and whether there was allocation for the national state of disaster on energy.<\/p>\n
George wanted to know details of the SAA bailout, and whether the allocation to the SA Post Office would fund the proposed state bank, or employees to be retrenched there.<\/p>\n
ANC MP Kenny Morolong enquired about the budget set aside for the minister of Electricity, or whether money would be channelled to the Presidency.<\/p>\n
EFF deputy leader Floyd Shivambu noted with concern that Eskom\u2019s debt relief focused on transmission and distribution, yet the crisis was lack of electricity.<\/p>\n
\u201cYour obsession is to want to privatise the generation of electricity.<\/p>\n
Where is the electricity going to come from? The energy availability factor is declining,\u201d Shivambu said.<\/p>\n
In his response, Godongwana said there had been a Cabinet decision to respond to SAA\u2019s business rescue process.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe will attach certain conditions as I indicated in the speech, so that we don\u2019t have further obligations,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Godongwana stated transmission and distribution of electricity were also a problem. <\/p>\n
\u201cAll those things need to be attended to,\u201d Godongwana said.<\/p>\n
The minister stated that the Post Office bailout would not fund the state bank, but the challenges experienced by the SOEs.<\/p>\n
As Godongwana answered questions, he experienced network connection issues and Deputy Minister David Masondo and officials continued from where he left off.<\/p>\n
Shivambu said there was no basis for the meeting to be held virtually, as there was no Covid-19 pandemic, only for the MPs to be subjected to \u201cthis rubbish\u201d.<\/p>\n
Buthelezi said their next meeting with the National Treasury would have to be physical next week.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe must still interact with the minister as these committees,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Cape Times<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Cape Town – Parliamentarians were angered by Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana\u2019s request to be excused mid-way from the meeting where he was to brief committees about the 2023 budget on Thursday. They said it was unfair for Godongwana to leave matters to the officials, and also complained that their oversight role was being undermined. This […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[4533,13925,11172,5489],"class_list":["post-170361","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-politics","tag-anger","tag-avoids","tag-godongwana","tag-questions"],"yoast_head":"\n