6. Clause 6 makes amendments to section 24C of the Act in order to address the concern that there is a lack of clarity in the procedure in identifying the Minister as the competent authority to issue environmental authorizations where an activity has international implications. It also inserts a new subsection (2A), to provide clarity on the procedure for identifying the Minister as the competent authority, under circumstances where the MEC is usually the competent authority, for example renewable energy applications, and where the activity has now been declared a national priority by Cabinet. Furthermore, new and innovative subsections are inserted to address the procedure to be followed, in instances where a MEC is the competent authority and may fail to take decisions on the issuing of environmental authorisations within the prescribed time-frames, due to the lack of capacity or for any other reason, an amendment has been introduced to give the Minister responsible for environmental affairs the power to take the decision under certain strictly prescribed circumstances. When considering clause 6(d) (subsection (2A) of section 24C) the Portfolio Committee was mindful of section 125(2)(b) of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996, which provides that the Premier has the power to implement all national legislation within the functional areas listed in Schedule 4 or 5 of the Constitution, except where the Constitution or an Act of Parliament provides otherwise. The intention of this amendment is therefore to make provision for this exceptional circumstance, in instances where the MEC either unreasonably or due to capacity challenges or for any other reason, fails to take a decision within the prescribed time-frames. The Portfolio Committee was also mindful of section 125(3), which obliges the national government by legislation or other measures to develop the administrative capacity of provinces to the extent required for the effective exercise of their powers and performance of their functions. The Minister is obliged to report annually to Parliament on the exercise of this power.