The programme for the workshop is attached.
Please note that venue for the workshop has been changed:
Venue: Townhouse Hotel
Address: 60 Corporation Street, Cape Town
Date: Monday, 25 February, 2013
Time: 10h00 to 13h00
We would also like you to note that during the release of the Medium Term Budget Policy Statement in October, there was an embargo breach by AFP. Consequently, AFP has been barred from covering the budget this month.
Please consider this a warning that any breach of the embargo rules will not be overlooked and may lead to serious sanctions. We therefore, urge you to read the lock-up rules carefully and adhere to them so that you continue enjoying the privilege of receiving the Budget documents under embargo. The lock-up rules are also attached.
Enquiries:
Xolisa Dodo
Communications Unit
Tel: 012 395 6697
Fax: 012 315 5126
Cell: 072 171 1534
Media pre- budget workshop programme
10h00 to 10h05: Opening and welcome Phumza Macanda
10h05 to 10h40: Brief explanation: Estimates of National Raquel Ferreira Expenditure and the Appropriation Bill
10h40 to 11h10: Brief explanation re: Budget Process, Kay Brown Budget Review
- Roles in the budget process: NT, MINCOMBUD
Budget Council, Cabinet and Parliament
11h10 to 11h20: Q&A session
10-minute break
11h30 to 12h10: Division of Revenue Act, conditional grants schedules, Kenneth Brown
Transfers to provinces, funds returned to the National Revenue Fund
12h10 to 12h20: Q&A
12h20 to 12h50: Tax Issues Franz Tomasek, Tax proposals, amendment bills
12h50 to 13h00: Q&A
13h00: Closure by Phumza Macanda
Lock-up rules
- No communication, electronic or otherwise, will be allowed with those outside the lock-up. We therefore recommend that Parliament PGA journalists who will not be covering the Budget work from elsewhere.
- All office doors are to remain open at all times.
- Stories can be transmitted to editors ONLY from 13:00 (with full observation of the embargo).
- Cellphones and any other transmitting devices must be switched off, placed in an envelope and handed over to National Treasury officials.
- Security and ICT will be monitoring the lock-ups at all times.
- Journalists are requested NOT to bring tablets such as iPads to the lock-ups.
- Emails, faxes can therefore, not be sent or received. Landline phones must be off the hook and not be used under any circumstances.
- Any devices that have built-in modems or can transmit information including built-in 3G cards must be disabled.
- Nobody will be allowed to leave the lock-up before the embargo is lifted. The embargo will be lifted only when the Finance Minister starts his address in parliament and this could be after 14:00.
- A ministerial media briefing is scheduled for 10:30 (Imbizo media centre, 120 Plein Street, Cape Town). Journalists will be escorted to the venue.
- For those journalists in Pretoria, there will be a live streaming of the press conference from Cape Town. Journalists are requested not to take laptops to the streaming room.
For access to Parliament for the speech and to broadcast from the Parliamentary precinct please send your details to nmagwagwa@parliament.gov.za and CC erandall@parliament.gov.za.
National Treasury officials will be available in case of any emergencies.
Photographers and broadcast journalists should note:
- They will not have access to budget documents if they are not part of the lock-up
- While they can attend the media briefing in mid-morning, they will not broadcast or communicate the contents of the Budget document in any form.
Should any journalist or publication break the embargo the publication/TV station or journalist may be prevented from covering the subsequent budget and/or Medium Term Budget Policy Statement.
