Gauteng legislature’s draft money bills act is riddled with flaws
Decision-making over public finance in SA’s most economically important province could be hit if ANC loses majority
Will the ANC lose its majority in Gauteng? This is a key question going into the 2019 elections. What is underappreciated is how the ANC’s loss of a majority might affect decision-making in the country’s economically most important province. If no party has a majority the role of the provincial legislature could become much more important, especially regarding public finances. The constitution promulgated in 1996 gives significant power to legislatures at all levels concerning public finances. And it requires parliament and the provincial legislatures to pass legislation that guides how legislatures make changes to key public finance legislation (“money bills”) that raise revenue and determine government spending. Such legislation was only passed at the national level in 2009 — an amended version of the Money Bills Amendment Procedure and Related Matters Act was signed by the president a few months ago. But parliament itself has not put its amendment powers to much use, partly becau...
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