Cape Town – Acting Finance Minister Mondli Gungubele said on Tuesday the government was doing all it could to make sure that it reduced the liabilities of the country.
“We reduce all factors that militate against a healthy fiscal framework that positions this country on a recovery path, that improves creditworthiness of this country, so that we continue to secure points from investors and ratings so that we create an environment of being a destination for investment.
“It is only when we pay these liabilities (that we can) make sure we are geared to deal with contingencies,” Gungubele said.
He made the statement when the National Assembly considered the report of the standing committee on appropriations on the second adjustments appropriation bill.
The bill provided for additional allocation for the Special Risk Insurance Association (Sasria) following the July unrest in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal and purchasing of the Covid-19 vaccines.
The bill allowed the government to deploy resources to cater for adjustments arising from unforeseen economic events.
DA MP Benedicta van Minen decried the fact that taxpayers had to foot the bill for ANC failures arising from its factionalism.
Van Minen also lashed out at restrictions and lockdown during the pandemic.
“Our national fiscal position would have been better if the ANC had re-opened the nation earlier and not constrained the vehicle of economic development with illogical restrictions and lockdowns,” she said.
The EFF’s Nazier Paulsen said his party has consistently warned that the parliamentary processes and calendar were outdated and needed to be reviewed.
“We need to look at how Parliament can be responsive,” Paulsen said.
He charged that the Parliament programme and processes only served to rubber stamp executive bills and adopt reports to cover government incompetence, as well as adopt bills allocating money when entities have already spent funds.
“We need a process to deal with money bills so that we do not pass bills when money has already been spent.”
Paulsen took a swipe at the “secret” negotiated terms for the purchase of the Covid-19 vaccines, and maintained that vaccines from Russia and China could cost far less.
He also said there was a need to review the operating model of Sasria and create affordable insurance.
IFP chief whip Narend Singh said the country remained firmly in the grip of the pandemic and there should be no complacency and thinking the worst was past regarding the pandemic.
Singh said the current period should be used to further resilience in the health and emergency response measures to deal with future Covid-19 outbreaks.
“Covid-19 exposed weaknesses in the health system and these must be strengthened,” he said, adding that resilience should be built into the health system.
Singh added that the government should focus on co-ordination in the intelligence which played a role in the “unpreparedness” of the security cluster response in the July unrest.
ACDP chief whip Steve Swart said they were concerned that very few people were held responsible for the destruction and tragic loss of lives, and that taxpayers foot the bill of the insurrection.
The bill was passed and would now be sent to the National Council of Provinces for concurrence.
Cape Times
