Hon Chairperson, hon members and hon Deputy President, good afternoon. The ANC is here to confirm that the draft regulations on the supply chain management system have gone through a comprehensive process in Parliament.
The terms of reference which were set out for the committee to respond to have been met. In meeting these terms of reference the committee paid attention to the relevant sections of the Constitution, the principal Act and related legislation covering procurement, in particular the Preferential Procurement Policy Framework Act... [Interjections.] you do not think so because you were not in the meeting! The committee also considered the Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment Act.
In terms of our mandate, we facilitated public involvement, and in particular that of the staff of Parliament, who are practitioners in the field of supply chain management. So, I do not understand what the hon Harris is saying. [Interjections.] I think you had better listen. They have been afforded the opportunity to propose whether the draft regulations should be amended or not.
What became clear to the committee at the end of the process was that there was no material matter of substance that required amendment, and the committee was unanimous on this matter. Today, we are hearing a different story!
With the exception of the single issue of drafting style, the draft regulations comply with the objects of the Financial Management of Parliament Act. Any suggestion that this process may have lacked expert opinion on the issue of procurement is without integrity.
The draft regulations issued in terms of the Financial Management of Parliament Act dwell extensively on ensuring that the regulations address the ongoing fight against corruption, a matter that the ANC has been seized with. Therefore, the ANC will definitely support these draft regulations. I thank you. [Applause.]