SCOA adopts its report on the 2019 Appropriations Bill
19 July 2019
The Standing Committee on Appropriations (SCOA) has adopted its report on the 2019 Appropriations Bill. Contained in this report, is the proposed amendments tabled by the Minister of Finance, Mr Tito Mboweni, on 25 June 2019.
The amendments include the Minister of Finance’s authorisation of the R17.652 billion to Eskom on 2 April 2019. This authorisation was done through section 16 (1) of the Public Finance Management Act, 1999 (PFMA) as a result of a delay in accessing the planned drawdown cash injection from the China Development Bank, which resulted in Eskom not being able to meet its financial obligations.
In processing the Bill, the committee acknowledged the challenges facing Eskom and the importance of not allowing Eskom to fail, but registered its displeasure over the implementation of section 16 of the PFMA by the Minister of Finance.
As part of the public participation process, various stakeholders and interested parties were given the opportunity to make written submissions and attend the committee’s public hearings which were held in Parliament on Tuesday, 16 July 2019. Submissions received drew the committee’s attention to the need for tangible plans in addressing the vast number of challenges faced by state-owned enterprises (SOEs), especially Eskom, the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC), Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) and Denel.