Budget speech, questions to the President, public hearings among highlights of rest of first term
The Budget, questions for oral reply by the President, public hearings on draft legislation and finalisation of several bills are among issues on the agenda for the remaining weeks of the first term of 2015.
On Wednesday, Minister of Finance Mr Nhlanhla Nene will deliver his Budget Speech, introduce the Appropriation Bill and table the Fiscal Framework and the Division of Revenue Bill to the National Assembly (NA). These will provide further clarity on government priorities for the year, following the State of the Nation Address on 12 February.
Parliamentary Committees in the NA and the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) will examine the Fiscal Framework and the Division of Revenue Bill. Following this, the NA is provisionally scheduled to consider a report from the Standing Committee on Finance on the Fiscal Framework and Revenue Proposals on 10 March and the Division of Revenue Bill on 12 March.
The NCOP is scheduled to consider a report of the Select Committee on the Fiscal Framework and the Revenue Proposals on 10 March.
The Deputy President is scheduled to answer questions for oral reply in the NA on 4 and 18 March and the President is scheduled to do so on 11 March. In the NCOP, the President is scheduled to answer questions in a provisionally scheduled sitting on 18 March and the Deputy President on 25 March.
A draft resolution (motion of no confidence in the President) is provisionally scheduled for consideration on 3 March in the NA. Draft legislation scheduled for completion this term includes the Medicines and Related Substances Amendment Bill (4 March), Maintenance Amendment Bill (25 March), and the Sexual Offences and Related Matters Amendment Bill (26 March).
In addition to a series of briefings to Parliamentary Committees from government departments and statutory entities, NA Committees have 13 bills before them. Scheduled public hearings include those on the Maintenance Amendment Bill (25 February), the Sexual Offences and Related Matters Amendment Bill (3, 4, 10, 11 March) and the Medical Innovation Bill (11, 13, 18 March).
Debates scheduled for the rest of the term include those on steps needed to place the economy on a qualitatively different path (NA, 24 February), ensuring synergy and cooperation between local government and traditional leadership for the advancement of our people (NCOP, 24 February), International Women’s Day (NA, 5 March), finding a lasting solution for financial assistance to needy students in higher education (NCOP, 17 March) and Human Rights Day (joint sitting of the NA and NCOP, 19 March).
