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Review of the Money Bills Amendment Procedure and Related Matters Act (Act No 9 of 2009) Joint Meeting: Finance and Appropriations Comittees Presentation by Constitutional and Legal Services Office. 13 June 2017. Introduction. Background Priority areas Time lines Sequencing
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Review of the Money Bills Amendment Procedure and Related Matters Act (Act No 9 of 2009) Joint Meeting: Finance and Appropriations Comittees Presentation by Constitutional and Legal Services Office 13 June 2017
Introduction • Background • Priority areas • Time lines • Sequencing • Budget Office (PBO) • Consequential matters • Norms and standards for provincial legislatures • Way forward Background
8 February 2017 - Workshop • Discussion document • Process • Technical task team • Chairs meet POs • MTBPS - timeframe • Priority areas • 2 May 2017 - SCoF Background Background
Priority areas Background • Timelines • Sequencing • Budget Office
Timelines • BRRR – S. 5(4) – after adoption of Appropriation Bill, prior to MTBPS report – unchanged • MTBPS – S 6(5), (7), (10) & (12) – report 30 days after tabling of MTBPS – report submitted to Minister within 7 days - changed to allow programing • Fiscal Framework – S. 8(3) – 16 days to report and to adopt report – changed to allow programming but prior to reporting on DoRB – S. 8(6)(b) Minister has 2 days to respond – unchanged. • DoRB – S. 9(3) – 35 days to pass – changed to allow programming – S. 9(7)(b) – Minister has 3 days to respond – unchanged. • Appropriation Bill – S. 10(5) – conditional appropriation – unchanged – S. 10(7) - pass Bill within four months after FY begins – unchanged – S. 10(10) – Minister given 10 days to respond - unchanged. Background
Timelines (cont.) • Proposal removes timeframes • Meeting of 2 May required a moderated solution • Proposal to require National Assembly to program the budget process • Codifying present practice Background
Sequencing • DoRB – S. 9(1) – referred after adoption of Fiscal Framework – changed to require reporting on Fiscal Framework prior to reporting on DoRB – S 8(3) – reporting on the DoRB after Fiscal Framework is adopted – S. 9(3). • Appropriation Bill – S. 10(1) & (3) – referred after adoption of Fiscal Framework – changed to require reporting after DoRB passed – S. 10(3). • S. 9(4) and 10(4) - ensures consistency with Fiscal Framework
National Adjustments budget • S. 12(6) – DoRAB referred to joint sitting changed – sequencing changed • S. 12(7) – 9 days within which to report on fiscal framenwork changed to allow programming – S. 12(9) – At least 2 days for ministerial response – unchanged • S. 12(11) – 9 days to report on the DoRAB – changed to allow programming - S. 12(13) – at least 4 days for ministerial response – unchanged • S. 12(15) – sequencing changed to allow referral of Adjustments App Bill prior to passing DoRAB – repoting only allowed after the DoRAB is passed. • S12(17) - At least 4 days for ministerial response – unchanged Adjustments budget
Emergency situations • S. 13(4) – implies consistency with the fiscal framwork – non-budget money Bills – constrains Parliament – amendment • Proposed S. 13(6) allows amendments to money Bills notwithstanding prevailing fiscal framework – based on section 16 of the PFMA. • Time frame for ministerial response – 14 days – unchanged – S. 13(3). Other money Bills
Section 15 of the Act establishes the PBO and sets out the following: • Functions (section 15(2)); • Appointment and removal of director (sections 15(5) & ((8)); • Reporting to Parliament (section 15(11)); and • Management of PBO (sections 15(12)-(15)). • How can the PBO be aligned to the FMPPLA or include fiduciary duties for the Director as accounting officer for an entity? Functions and management of the PBO
Aligned to the FMPPLA • Clarity on whether the PBO is an entity that receives a transfer of funds • Responsibility of Director for the fiduciary duties, financial management and human resource management • Reporting through the Presiding Officers, and included in Parliament’s annual report. • Presiding Officers submit reports to Houses • Chairpersons of finance and appropriations committees and relevant House Chairpersons act as advisory board to consult about structure and conditions of service of PBO • Advisory board to appoint person to act as Director when vacancy exist. • 2 May meeting resolved to include a provision enabling a member to request advice form the PBO through the Committee PBO (cont.)
The language used in the Act can be improved to be consistent with language used in parliamentary processes (e.g. definitions). • Certain areas of the Act requires further consideration (e.g. Whether section 3 is necessary? • Correction of section 11(4)(c), which incorrectly refers to subsection (7) instead of (6)). • Correction to section 12(6) to ensure constitutionality of legislative process. • Other corrections to the latest terminology used in performance reporting (section 5(1)) and typographical corrections (section 6(2)(d)). • Insertion of words to clarify meaning (e.g. definitions, sections 6 to 11). Consequential matters
Section 16, read with the Schedule to the Act provides for norms and standards for provincial legislatures. • Section 120(3) of the Constitution provides that provincial legislatures must pass provincial legislation to set out a procedure to amend provincial money Bills. • Section 116 (1) of the Constitution provides that a provincial legislature may control and determine its internal arrangements, proceedings and procedures. • Section 16 of the Act must be consistent with the Constitution. Norms and standards for provincial legislatures
Policy decisions for Committee • Process • Subcommittee • Develop and consider a draft amendment Bill • Public hearings on draft amendment Bill • Report with a draft amendment Bill after public hearings for purpose of introducing a committee Bill Way forward