The Week Ahead: #MTBPS2023

All eyes will be on the Minister of Finance when he presents the Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS) on Wednesday. The MTBPS outlines the economic context against which the 2024 budget is being formulated and sets out the spending framework for the next three years.

In addition, the mini-budget gives an update on tax collection, government spending and deficits, economic growth targets and signals whether the country is still on track to meet plans laid out in the February budget. Further, it gives the government a chance to reprioritise spending to areas that may urgently need more money.

The Minister has a tough job to do given the country’s deteriorating fiscal position of low growth, low revenue, and high borrowing costs.

The situation is also compounded by load shedding, high unemployment, failing SOEs, corruption, a growing public sector wage bill, extreme inequality, and growing pressure from the public. Structural reforms are also needed in electricity, rail, ports, and telecommunications.

There are fears that National Treasury will announce deep budget cuts in the medium-term budget that will harm service delivery.

The Minister of Finance has tried to calm things and gave an assurance that budget cuts that will be announced in the MTBPS will be ‘moderate’ and will not exceed normal government underspending in previous years. According to media reports, Minister Godongwana said he will "bump up borrowing" to soften the blow of budget cuts.

Various stakeholders – political parties, trade unions, businesses, credit rating agencies, investors, international monetary bodies, civil society, and the public – will be keeping a close eye to see what interventions, support, trade-offs, tax proposals, and tax relief are made.

The MTBPS will be accompanied by the introduction of several bills: the Adjustments Appropriation Bill, Division of Revenue Amendment Bill, Rates and Monetary Amounts and Amendments of Revenue Laws Bill, Taxation Laws Amendment Bill, and Tax Administration Laws Amendment Bill. The Minister is also expected to table the Eskom Debt Relief Amendment Bill.

The Minister will deliver the MTBPS at the Cape Town City Hall.

The President's oral question session - on Thursday - is the other high point of the parliamentary week. The President is required to answer questions of national or international importance once per term in accordance with the annual parliamentary programme. The questions are sifted and published beforehand to ensure that only those satisfying the set criteria are put to the President. Four supplementary questions, arising from the reply to a question, are allowed. This is President Ramaphosa's final question session in the National Assembly for 2023.

View the full Questions here

Beyond this, lawmakers will consider the National Council on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide Bill and recommendations to fill vacancies at the Media Development and Diversity Agency (MDDA) Board and the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) Council on Tuesday.

Over in the NCOP, the House has arranged 2 sittings and both are dedicated to Oral Questions and Replies. Select Committees in the Peace and Security Cluster will appear on Tuesday and Thursday.

Legislation and budget-related matters top the agenda in the Committee Corridor:

TUESDAY, 31 OCTOBER 2023

Portfolio Committee on Water and Sanitation (National Assembly), [Briefing by the Department of Water and Sanitation on the Realignment of Water Boards; Briefing by the Department of Water and Sanitation on Water Boards Corporate/Business Plans 2023/24 Financial Year; Briefing by the Secretariat on processes to be followed on submissions on the National Water Resources Infrastructure Agency SOC Limited Bill (B24-2023) as introduced in the National Assembly (proposed section 75 bill), explanatory summary of Bill and prior notice of its introduction published in Government Gazette No. 49063 of 1 August 2023], Virtual Meeting Platform, 09:00

Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs, (National Assembly), [Briefing by the Department of Home Affairs (DHA), the Border Management Authority (BMA) and the Government Printing Works (GPW) on their performance and expenditure for the second quarter of the 2023-24 financial year; Briefing by Hon A Lotriet on the Electoral Commission Amendment Bill [B15 – 2023] – Private Members Bill; Consideration and adoption of minutes], Committee Room M515, Fifth Floor, Marks Building, Parliament, 09:00-13:00

Portfolio Committee on Communications and Digital Technologies, (National Assembly), [Deliberation/finalisation on the SAPO Amendment Bill [B11-2023]; Briefing by the Department on the South African Broadcasting Corporation SOC LTD Bill [B32–2023]; Adoption of minutes], Virtual Meeting Platform, 09:00-13:00

Portfolio Committee on Trade and Industry, (National Assembly), [Deliberations on the Companies A/Bs], Virtual Meeting Platform, 09:00-13:00

Select Committee on Health and Social Services, (National Council of Provinces), [Consideration of the Submissions on the NHI Bill [B11B-2019], sec 76 and the responses to submissions by the Department of Health; Consideration and Adoption of Committee Minutes], Virtual Meeting Platform, 09:00-13:00

Portfolio Committee on Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, (National Assembly), [Consideration of the Motion of Desirability on the Preservation and Development of Agricultural Land Bill [B8 – 2021]; and Deliberations on the Preservation and Development of Agricultural Bill [B8 – 2021], Virtual Meeting Platform, 09:00-13:00

Portfolio Committee on Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, (National Assembly), [Responses by the Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities to submissions received on the National Youth Development Agency Amendment Bill [B13-2022]; Consideration and adoption of minutes], Committee Room, S12A, Ground Floor, NCOP Building, Parliament, 09:30-13:00

Portfolio Committee on Public Service and Administration, (National Assembly), [Briefing by the Parliamentary Legal Services on the constitutionality of the Bills; Briefing by National School of Government on their proposed amendments to the Public Administration Management Amendment Bill [B10 -2023]], Virtual Meeting Platform, 09:30-13:00

Portfolio Committee on Environment, Forestry and Fisheries, (National Assembly), [Consideration and adoption of the Committee Budgetary Review and Recommendation Report, 2023; Briefing by the Department on their First Quarterly Reports for 2023/24; and Briefing by the Department on the state of nurseries in South Africa], Virtual Meeting Platform, 10:00-13:00

WEDNESDAY, 1 NOVEMBER 2023

Portfolio Committee on Police, (National Assembly), [Department responses to the public submissions on the Amendment Bill], Virtual Meeting Platform, 09:00-13:00

Portfolio Committee on Trade and Industry, (National Assembly), [Deliberations on the Companies A/Bs], Virtual Meeting Platform, 09:00-13:00

Portfolio Committee on Social Development, (National Assembly), [Briefing by the unemployed social worker’s petition calling on National Assembly to investigate the inability of the government to create permanent employment for unemployed social workers in South Africa; Briefing by the Department of Social Development in response to a petition received from the unemployed social workers in South Africa; Adoption of minutes], Virtual Meeting Platform, 09:00-13:00

Portfolio Committee on Public Service and Administration, (National Assembly), [Adoption of the Public Hearings Report on the Public Administration Management Amendment Bill [B10 - 2023] and Public Service Amendment Bill [B13 - 2023], Virtual Meeting Platform, 09:30-13:00

Portfolio Committee on Public Service and Administration, (National Assembly), Report on the Motion of Desirability of the Bills for Public Administration Management Amendment Bill [B10 -2023] and Public Service Amendment Bill [B13 -2023]; Consideration and deliberations of the Bills, clause by clause by the Committee], Virtual Meeting Platform, 15:30-18:00

Portfolio Committee on Public Enterprises, (National Assembly), [Engagement with organised labour on the governance, financial and service delivery challenges facing Transnet], Virtual Meeting Platform, 10:00

Select Committee on Security and Justice, (National Council of Provinces), [Consideration and adoption of the Report on the Amendments to the Practical Guidelines for Employees, submitted in terms of section 10(4)(b) of the Protected Disclosures Act, 2000 (Act No 26 of 2000); Deliberation and adoption of the Prevention and Combating of Hate Crimes and Hate Speech Bill [B9B-2018] (National Assembly – sec 75); Consideration and adoption of the Report of the Prevention and Combating of Hate Crimes and Hate Speech Bill [B9B-2018] (National Assembly – sec 75)], Virtual Meeting Platform, 11:00-13:00

Joint Meeting: Standing Committee on Finance, Standing Committee on Appropriations, Select Committee on Finance and Select Committee on Appropriations, (National Assembly and National Council of Provinces), [Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS) Lock-up], Cape Town City Hall, 11:00-14:00

THURSDAY, 2 NOVEMBER 2023

Ad Hoc Committee on the General Intelligence Laws Amendment Bill, (National Assembly), [Election of the Chairperson; Consideration and adoption of the draft Committee programme], Committee Room M314, Third Floor, Marks Building, Parliament, 08:00

Powers and Privileges Committee, (National Assembly), [Hearing on the incident of 30 August 2022], Committee Room M46, Ground Floor, Marks Building, Parliament, 10:00-16:00

Joint Meeting: Standing Committee on Finance, Standing Committee on Appropriations, Select Committee on Finance and Select Committee on Appropriations, (National Assembly and National Council of Provinces), [Briefing by the Minister of Finance on the Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS), Revised Fiscal Framework and Revenue Proposals], Virtual Meeting Platform, 12:30-15:00

FRIDAY, 3 NOVEMBER 2023

Joint Standing Committee on Financial Management of Parliament, (National Assembly and National Council of Provinces), [Briefing on the Parliamentary Budget Office’s 2022/23 Annual Report; Consideration and adoption of minutes and reports], Virtual Meeting Platform, 08:00-11:00

Portfolio Committee on Police, (National Assembly), [Committee deliberations on the Independent Investigative Directorate Amendment Bill [B21-2023]], Committee Room S12A, Ground Floor, NCOP Building, Parliament, 09:00-13:00

Portfolio Committee on Trade and Industry, (National Assembly), [Deliberations on the Companies A/Bs], Virtual Meeting Platform, 09:00-13:00

Portfolio Committee on Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, (National Assembly), [Briefing by the DPME on the District Development Model (DDM) report aiming to improve coherence and impact of the government’s service delivery efforts; Consideration and adoption of Committee Minutes], Virtual Meeting Platform, 09:00-13:00

Powers and Privileges Committee, (National Assembly), [Hearing on the incident of 30 August 2022], Committee Room M515, Fifth Floor, Marks Building, Parliament, 10:00-16:00

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View the schedule page here.

*This summary is based on the schedule as it is published on Monday morning. The programme is subject to frequent updating so the link above needs to be checked daily to confirm the programme for the day.

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