This week in Parliament: Budget, Plants and Sustainability

Feb 19, 2024

This week the Budget Speech, to be delivered by the Minister of Finance, Enoch Godongwana, on Wednesday at 14:00, will receive a lot of attention. The Minister will also brief a joint meeting of the Standing Committee on Finance, the Standing Committee on Appropriations, the Select Committee on Finance and the Select Committee onAppropriations on the 2024 Budget on Thursday afternoon.

In the National Assembly and in Committee meetings the Plant Health (Phytosanitary) Bill will receive attention this week. Especially importers and exporters of fresh produce are following developments around the Bill, as it aims to provide for phytosanitary measures to prevent the introduction, establishment and spread of regulated pests in the Republic, and to provide for regulation of the movement of plants, plant products and other regulated articles into, within and out of the Republic.

On Friday the Portfolio Committee on Trade and Industry will be briefed by the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition on two sustainability concerns receiving some media attention: the Green Hydrogen Commercialisation Strategy and the Electric Vehicle White Paper.

1. Parliamentary Programme

TUESDAY, 20 FEBRUARY 2024

14:00 – ±18:15 PLENARY (HYBRID)

1. Consideration of Report of Standing Committee on Finance on Revenue Laws Amendment Bill [B 39 – 2023] (s77) (ATC, 6 December 2023, p 75) (no debate

2. First Reading debate – Revenue Laws Amendment Bill [B 39B – 2023] (s77) (77)

3. Second Reading – Revenue Laws Amendment Bill [B 39B – 2023] (s77) (no

debate)

4. Consideration of Report of PC on Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development on Plant Health (Phytosanitary) Bill [B 14 – 2021] (s76(1)) (ATC 6 December 2023, p 113) (no debate)

5. Second Reading debate – Plant Health (Phytosanitary) Bill [B 14B – 2021]

(s76(1)) (77)

6. Consideration of Report of PC on Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development on Deeds Registries Amendment Bill [B 28 – 2022] (s75) (ATC, 6 December 2023, p 111) (no debate)

7. Second Reading debate – Deeds Registries Amendment Bill [B 28 – 2022] (s75) (77)

8. Consideration of Municipal Fiscal Powers and Functions Amendment Bill [B 21D – 2022] (s75) and of Report of Standing Committee on Finance on amendments proposed by National Council of Provinces (ATC, 6 December 2023, p 108) (54) (declarations)

9. Consideration of Report of Home Affairs on Establishment of Electoral Reform Consultation Panel (ATC, 6 December 2023, p 115) (54) (declarations)3

WEDNESDAY, 21 FEBRUARY 2024

14:00 – ±15:30 PLENARY (Budget Speech) [City Hall]

1. Introduction: Appropriation Bill [B – 2024] (prop s77) and tabling of Division of Revenue Bill [B – 2024] (prop s761))

16:00 – ± 19:45 PLENARY (Ctnd.)

2. Consideration of Recommendation for Removal from office of Judge President M J Hlophe in terms of section 177(1) of the Constitution, 1996 (Report of PC on Justice and Correctional Services, see ATC, 6 December 2023, p 5) (88)

3. Consideration of Recommendation for Removal from office of Judge N J Motata in terms of section 177(1) of the Constitution, 1996 (Report of PC on Justice and Correctional Services, see ATC, 6 December 2023, p 16) (88)

2. Committee Programme

TUESDAY, 20 FEBRUARY 2024

• Ad Hoc Committee on the General Intelligence Laws Amendment Bill, (National Assembly), [Oral Submissions on the General Intelligence Laws Amendment Bill (GILAB) [B40-2023]], (Hybrid Meeting) Committee Room S12A, Ground Floor, NCOP Building, Parliament, 08:00-14:004

• Portfolio Committee on Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, (National Assembly), [Briefing by the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD) on Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Cuba on cooperation in matters of Animal and Plant Health; Consideration and adoption of the Committee Study Tour to Brazil and outstanding minutes], Virtual Meeting Platform, 09:00-13:00

• Portfolio Committee on Mineral Resources and Energy, (National Assembly), [Consideration and adoption of outstanding minutes; Deliberations on the Electricity Regulation Amendment Bill [B23 – 2023]], Virtual Meeting Platform, 09:00-13:00

• Portfolio Committee on Mineral Resources and Energy, (National Assembly), [Deliberations on the National Nuclear Regulator Amendment Bill [B25 – 2023]], Virtual Meeting Platform, 18:30-21:00

• Portfolio Committee on Transport, (National Assembly), [Briefing by the Auditor-General of South Africa (AGSA) on the 2022/23 Annual Report of the entities of the Department of Transport; Briefing by the entities of the Department of Transport on their 2022/23 Annual Reports: South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA); Consideration and adoption of report on the NCOP amendments to the Economic Regulation of Transport Bill [B 1D-2020]; Consideration and adoption of report on the NCOP amendments to the National Road Traffic Amendment Bill [B 7D-2020]; Consideration of draft Committee 2023 Annual Report; Adoption of report on Committee’s attendance at the UITP Training Course on Tendering and Contracting; Consideration and adoption of minutes of proceedings], Virtual Meeting Platform, 10:00

• Select Committee on Trade and Industry, Economic Development, Small Business Development, Tourism, Employment and Labour, (National Council of Provinces), [Public hearings on Companies Amendment Bills; Consideration and adoption of minutes], Virtual Meeting Platform, 10:00-12:005

• Select Committee on Trade and Industry, Economic Development, Small Business Development, Tourism, Employment and Labour, (National Council of Provinces), [Briefing by the World Trade Organisation (WTO); Consideration and adoption of Minutes], Virtual Meeting Platform, 14:00-16:00

WEDNESDAY, 21 FEBRUARY 2024

• Joint Meeting: Portfolio Committee on Public Enterprises and the Portfolio Committee on Mineral Resources and Energy, (National Assembly), [Briefing by Department of Mineral Resources and Energy on the Electricity Regulation Amendment Bill 2023 [B25-2023], and its implications for Eskom], Virtual Meeting Platform, 09:00

• Select Committee on Security and Justice, (National Council of Provinces), [Briefing by the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development on the National Prosecuting Authority Amendment Bill [B29B-2023] S75 and submissions received on the Bill; Committee deliberation on the Cannabis for Private Purposes Bill [B19B – 2020] S75], Virtual Meeting Platform, 09:00-13:00

• Select Committee on Transport, Public Service and Administration, Public Works and Infrastructure, (National Council of Provinces), [Final Mandates: Expropriation Bill [B 23B2020] (sec 76); Briefing by the Department of Public Service and Administration on the Implementation of the Recommendations of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into Allegations of State Capture, Corruption and Fraud in the Public Sector Including Organs of State: Implementation of lifestyle audits for members of the National Executive; Review of public sector legislation and alignment with the National Framework towards the Implementation of Professionalisation of the Public Sector; Induction for New Ministers to clarify the relationship between the political authority and the institutions they oversee; Revision to relevant sections of the Ministerial Handbook; and Development of a code of conduct for special advisers], Virtual Meeting Platform, 09:30-13:00

• 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), [2024 Budget Lock-Up], Cape Town City Hall, 11:00-14:00

• Select Committee on Trade and Industry, Economic Development, Small Business Development, Tourism, Employment and Labour, (National Council of Provinces), [Public hearings on the National Small Enterprise Amendment Bill [B16B – 2023] (National Assembly – sec 76); Consideration and adoption of minutes], Virtual Meeting Platform, 16:00-21:00

THURSDAY, 22 FEBRUARY 2024

• 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 2024 Budget (Fiscal Framework and Revenue Proposals)], Virtual Meeting Platform, 12:30-15:00

• Portfolio Committee on Mineral Resources and Energy, (National Assembly), [Deliberations on the Electricity Regulation Amendment Bill [B23 – 2023]], Virtual Meeting Platform, 14:00-17:00

• Portfolio Committee on Mineral Resources and Energy, (National Assembly), [Deliberations on the National Nuclear Regulator Amendment Bill [B25 – 2023]], Virtual Meeting Platform, 18:00-21:007

FRIDAY, 23 FEBRUARY 2024

• Portfolio Committee on Trade and Industry, (National Assembly), [Briefing by the DTIC on its second and third quarter financial and non-financial performance for the 2023/24 financial year; Briefing by the DTIC on the Green Hydrogen Commercialisation Strategy; Briefing on the Electric Vehicle White Paper], Virtual Meeting Platform, 09:00-13:00

• Portfolio Committee on Mineral Resources and Energy, (National Assembly), [Deliberations on the Electricity Regulation Amendment Bill [B23 – 2023]], Virtual Meeting Platform, 09:00-13:00

• Portfolio Committee on Mineral Resources and Energy, (National Assembly), [Deliberations on the National Nuclear Regulator Amendment Bill [B25 – 2023]], Virtual Meeting Platform, 14:00

• Portfolio Committee on Transport, (National Assembly), [Meeting with the Road Accident Fund (RAF) on matters related to the AGSA audit findings and outstanding matters per Committee resolutions of reports on the Department of Transport budgets and Budgetary Review and Recommendation Reports], Virtual Meeting Platform, 10:00

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