Chairperson, we need to, firstly, remind ourselves that the Adjustment Budget merely allows for unavoidable and unforeseeable expenditure to be taken account of.
Let me, firstly, give an assurance to those members who raised concerns about whether this provision has been applied correctly. I want to say that it has, that we have been very careful, and that, in fact, a number of requisitions for funds to be allocated through this mechanism were turned down, because the Treasury committee, not any individual, was unconvinced that it amounted to unforeseen and unavoidable expenditure. There were also a large number of applications for roll-overs. Not all of them were approved. Only those that had legitimate reasons given, which is largely about long-term commitments to projects, were actually allowed.
Secondly, let us also give credit where it is due. Many years ago, underspending was a serious problem in many areas, at provincial and at national level. Today, underspending in the old form is no longer a problem. Now the question is the quality of spending and the quality of outcomes, and whether we are getting the value for money that we would actually require.
Some colleagues have raised issues about the Municipal Infrastructure Grant, MIG, during the course of these hearings and the speeches made today. We are in agreement that this is something that we need to look at more carefully, given that we want better and more effective delivery at a local government sphere level. My colleagues from the Department for Co- operative Governance and Traditional Affairs will be engaging with us in further discussions on that.
Land restitution, rural development and agricultural development have been mentioned by several hon members as well. Minister Nkwinti and we are very mindful of the necessity for more money to be allocated to land restitution. Let us be frank. We have reached a point in this process where it is totally unaffordable to carry on on the old basis. Some new basis has been found, and I am going to leave it to Minister Nkwinti to address those issues when he interacts with Parliament again. Let us be assured that the focus of government, as a whole, on agricultural development and rural development is a very profound one, and, as we move on, we will see a lot more reserves coming from these two areas. Many of the thoughts that have been expressed at the podium today will see fruition I am sure, as we find our feet in these areas. So, there is a very profound commitment to ensuring that we do create better work opportunities for our people in the rural areas.
Several colleagues have addressed the issue of bail-outs. Again, let's be quite emphatic: Bail-outs are not going to be an endless mechanism of funding for foolishness, mismanagement, poor judgment, poor strategic leadership or no leadership at all. We are absolutely clear about that. So, all of the colleagues on this side of the House to whom I have responsibilities for state-owned enterprises, SOEs, it is quite clear that over the next period and, already, for the last few months, we have imposed very tough terms on SOEs that require state assistance. Those terms mean that this assistance is not an endless process. It has a very finite purpose. We expect finite things to be done. We expect the right things to happen within SOEs. Otherwise, the SOEs, themselves, must actually review the purpose for their existence.
Cabinet has also decided that there will be a review process for all of the SOEs, together with the relevant Cabinet colleagues, to decide whether they still have a purpose, whether they operate as effectively as they can do, whether they duplicate some of their functions, and whether there can be greater efficiency in the way they operate. Minister Hogan and I, amongst others, are responsible for initiating this process.
We also agree with colleagues that greater productivity is required from the Public Service. Here again, we have to emphasise that we have to do more with less. Once again, some of our colleagues have come back to the question of corruption, and are equivocating. Corruption cannot be qualified. I think we must be quite unequivocal and quite unqualified about the necessity to root it out. Now, there are all sorts of ifs and buts that all of us can put forward. The one message we need to be absolutely categorical and unequivocal about is that it is not going to be tolerated in any form, anywhere, by anybody, on any side of this House. [Applause.] That is the message that we need to get through.
We agree with Dr Rabie, for example, that we want to get the right balance between welfare and work, between those who are supported by social grants and the tax base that they actually depend upon. That is why, over the next while, we are going to have a lot more emphasis on enterprise creation, entrepreneurship and job creation, so that we can actually widen our tax base and have, not just for the purposes of supplying more grants to people but rather to ensure that people have the dignity of their own income and the ability to make decisions about their own welfare, on the basis of what they get. A wider tax base will also enable us, as government and as society, to take on many more challenges that we have, in respect of both our legacy and our future challenges.
So, let me thank everyone concerned for their contributions and for their positive support of the Adjustments Appropriation Bill. Thank you. [Applause.]
Debate concluded.
Bill read a first time.