National Council of Provinces - 01 September 2004

WEDNESDAY, 1 SEPTEMBER 2004 __

          PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PROVINCES

                                ____

The Council met at 14:07.

The Deputy Chairperson took the Chair and requested members to observe a moment of silence for prayers or meditation.

ANNOUNCEMENTS, TABLINGS AND COMMITTEE REPORTS – see col 000.

  UNEMPLOYMENT IN NORTH WEST AND INVESTMENT IN MAFIKENG INDUSTRIAL
                          DEVELOPMENT ZONE

                         (Draft Resolution)

Mr Z S KOLWENI: Chair, members, I move without notice:

That the Council –

(1) recognises that unemployment remains a key challenge in the North West;

(2) acknowledges that the provincial government of the North West has already implemented a number of projects aimed at exploiting the economic potential of the province in order to create jobs and fight poverty;

(3) notes in this regard the plans by the North West provincial government to invest R200 million in the Mafikeng industrial development zone; and

(4) welcomes this investment as further proof of the ANC-led provincial government’s commitment to foster sustainable development in rural towns where unemployment and poverty are prevalent.

Motion agreed to in accordance with section 65 of the Constitution.

                ABSENCE OF DA MEMBERS FROM THE HOUSE


                         (Draft Resolution)

Mr K SINCLAIR: Chairperson, I move without notice:

That the Council takes note that there is only one member of the Democratic Alliance present while the others are supposedly licking their wounds in anticipation of the defection period.

Motion agreed to in accordance with section 65 of the Constitution.

        TRENDS IN INTERGOVERNMENTAL FINANCES: 2000-01-2006-07


                           (Introduction)

The MINISTER OF FINANCE: Thank you very much, Deputy Chairperson. Hon members, thank you for this opportunity this afternoon. I know that the convening of this discussion here this afternoon required special care and attention, but I think as we deal with the subject matter at hand the importance of this meeting and the importance of the timing of this discussion will be self-evident.

Members of the NCOP play an invaluable role in protecting the interests of provinces and local government. We in the National Treasury are of the view that we are indeed allies of the NCOP in this endeavour. It is to this end, and not to meet any constitutional or statutory obligations, that we sought to publish an Intergovernmental Fiscal Review from time to time.

Now, when we first published it the issues were new. A methodology did not exist. But towards the end of the second Parliament the NCOP became quite adept at using either the full Intergovernmental Fiscal Review or a trends document that we produced from time to time very much as part of their work. Members of the NCOP saw themselves as activists in this regard and undertook, here within the context of the NCOP and also in their engagement with standing committees in all legislatures, to promote the use of this document and, more importantly, equipped members of Parliament and the legislatures in the use of these documents.

This year we have opted not to produce a full Intergovernmental Fiscal Review. We have limited the publication this time, essentially as an update on the last Intergovernmental Fiscal Review that we published. This is the document. I’m advised reliably that it is in the pigeonholes of distinguished members of the NCOP, but I don’t actually see the document on the desks. So I hope that we aren’t talking past each other on the issue.

I’m saying that it is an abbreviated document; it’s not a full Intergovernmental Fiscal Review. It’s an important tool for members of the NCOP. We’ve tried to keep it as short as we possibly can. The review document itself is now down 152 pages, and there are annexures of 147 pages of tables. So notwithstanding our best endeavours, we still produced a document of 300 pages. But I believe that the information that it contains is exceedingly valuable to every member of the NCOP.

We are tabling it here because we believe fundamentally that the NCOP has a critical oversight role to play in monitoring government expenditure, given the size of our transfers to provincial and local governments. In the current fiscal year, for example, we transfer 61,8% of the available resource of R316 billion, if you exclude the contingency reserve of R2,5 billion. So 61,8% of what we have available we transfer to these two spheres of government.

There is no other institution other than the NCOP capable of observing the trends in spending, primarily because the provinces are incapable of raising their own revenues, and we need to supplement local government through both conditional grants as well as an equitable share.

An amount of R181,1 billion, or 57,3%, of what we have available now is made available to the provinces, and the remaining R14,2 billion to local government. These divisions are, of course, effected through the Division of Revenue Act. A number of members of the NCOP arrived after the Division of Revenue Act was debated in this House quite extensively during the period February and early March, and it needed to be passed here before it was sent elsewhere. That is the power, the mandate, the authority to transfer resources from nationally raised revenues to other spheres of government. So, because the NCOP is as involved in the process of determining the contents of the Division of Revenue Act, it therefore needs to be involved in the oversight function in respect of the spending at hand.

I want to start by giving an example of why this document is important for parliamentary accountability. I want to use, as an example, the Education budget. The national Department of Education has a budget this year of R11,3 billion, but of that amount that it has available only R443 million would be what it spends on its own functions. The rest would be transferred to universities, to the National Financial Student Assistance Scheme, and a number of other projects and programmes that the Department of Education is responsible for.

In contrast to that amount of R443 million out of a total of R11,3 billion, the nine provincial education departments have budgeted and will spend, we hope, R64,8 billion this year. We hope it will be R64,8 and not R68,4, but that is what they have budgeted – R64,8 billion.

The question that arises is whether Parliament should not focus on the consolidated budget so that we understand what happens in the context of education in South Africa. The consolidated budget would then give us an amount of R76,1 billion. But in order to do that and in order to ensure that we have an understanding of what is happening in the context of education, somebody has to provide leadership, somebody has to pull together the Select Committee on Education in this House, the standing committees on education in the nine Houses, and perhaps also the Portfolio Committee on Education in the House next door and begin to engage with us. This is because the amount that we are looking at, the amount of R76,1 billion, is indeed a substantial amount of money. And, unless parliamentarians engage in the process and continually ask what the money buys, we are looking at the wrong place.

We will never know what the money buys unless you have ongoing parliamentary reviews of expenditure. Those parliamentary reviews, I think, need to take an approach perhaps more creative than we have had before. Unless this NCOP can look at this matter also with the provincial legislatures, you don’t have a snowball’s hope of trying to understand what is actually happening in Education, or indeed whether the oversight function of Parliament as a collective is aligned to the task at hand. This is because you can’t abstract education in the North West province from education in the Northern Cape. You are not going to deal with life like that. We need a consolidated view. And I’m sure that the Minister and Deputy Minister of Education – especially the Deputy Minister who used to sit in this chair over here – would want to be part of that kind of review.

Now, for the first time, we have a document that equips the NCOP to take some leadership, take some responsibility, to engage with the numbers, the trends, and invite into partnership, as a critical part of the oversight function, the nine provincial legislatures. The Trends in Intergovernmental Finances, which we table today, provides information on the 2004 provincial budgets and also on the 2003-04 municipal budgets. The reason we are lagging a bit with the municipal budgets is that their fiscal year this year for the last time runs from July to June, and not from April to March like the rest of us.

As we bring in the Local Government: Municipal Finance Management Act, as we align the Medium-Term Expenditure Frameworks in municipalities, we will be able to produce this document so that all members of Parliament will be able to see at a glance exactly what the trends are and be able to live up to the oversight responsibility.

The trend-line document also accounts for public expenditures over the last three financial years – starting in the year which ended on 31 March 2001 to the year which ended on 31 March 2004. The trend is there, and from that trend we then need to be able to project forward and engage with issues of content and quality.

The document spells out in more detail spending plans for the nine provinces and the 284 local governments, taking the focus on service delivery one step forward and enabling users to compare provincial and municipal service delivery standards and achievements. I stand here confident that the NCOP will facilitate the participation of every provincial legislature and the municipal councils in the accountability processes by spreading the information in this document as widely as possible.

The 2004 provincial budgets consolidated in this document represent a real expression of co-operative governance. They reflect strong alignment to national priorities articulated in the 2004 Budget Review. Provinces, as I said, are budgeting R186,7 billion for their budgets in this year, of which R152,9 billion, or 82%, is budgeted for the three social services in Education, Health and Social Development.

What we would like to invite members also to look at is if you say the 82% goes with those three social functions, what indeed are the trends? Then you will find that the one that is growing the fastest is Social Development, and, in fact, even faster than that growth is a part of it called social security transfers. But as that grows, it’s squeezing out Education and Health.

As members of the NCOP explore the detail of those kinds of numbers, a series of questions must arise because it is in dealing with those kinds of questions that, I’d like to submit, members of the NCOP can live out their oversight function. It’s there. I said that we see ourselves as allies of the NCOP in the context of that oversight function, and all that we do here is to present the information in a way that would facilitate the exercise of that very important parliamentary responsibility.

Local governments for last year spent about R86 billion, including capital expenditure of R16,7 billion. I think that at the end of an examination that it would be useful to hear from members of the NCOP whether that R16,7 billion is a fair reflection of the demand for capital expenditure or whether it’s low on capex. If it is low on capex, what might local authorities be spending more of their resources on and what does that say to us about the future of all of us and democracy in this country?

Now, if we look at that number of R86 billion spent by the local authorities, it is important to recognise that within that, six metros alone spent about 59% of the total. So, you leave 278 local authorities with 40%. What does that say to us? This document allows us to compare the different spheres and different functions of government.

One of the important trends to look at, from a delivery perspective, is to ensure that we maximise the budgets for the delivery of services by reducing the cost of personnel, which we now call compensation on employees. Such a trend has been the case in provinces where the downward trend in personnel started more than three years ago, and is set to continue over the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework - the current one runs until 31 March 2007 - resulting in a further decline in the share of personnel from R57,7 billion in the fiscal year 2000-01, the first year for which we publish tables in this document, to 44,5% in 2006-07. What we can save on personnel clearly needs to be made available to render first-level services to the bulk of our people.

This will release more resources for delivery, with non-personnel expenditure expected to rise to over 55% over the same period. This is in stark contrast to local government, where its share of personnel expenditure has been increasing rapidly and is now at 43% of its operating budget if the bulk purchases of water and electricity are excluded from the operating budget. This means it will even be harder for the local sphere to deliver, if it does not prioritise containing its personnel expenditure.

At some time somebody, certainly the President, or somebody else is going to ask every member here, including members of other parties, please to explain what their contribution has been to delivering on the people’s contract. That is an answer to the question of whether you’ve lived out your oversight function, because if delivering on the people’s contract is impossible in the present fiscal arrangements, then the President would want to hear what the proposals are for change. That is the response to the information contained in here. So, this is not some airy-fairy Manuel and Momo madness; this goes to the heart of the responsibilities of Parliament and the NCOP, in particular, as the guardian of provincial and local government interests, to live out the Constitution and the mandate that the electorate has given this government.

Income support continues to be one of our weapons for fighting poverty in the short term. One of government’s greatest achievements is the increase in the number of social grant beneficiaries, which increased from 2,9 million people in April 2000 to 7,9 million people in April this year. We expect that beneficiary numbers will grow in excess of an estimated 20% per year, but the total number is likely to reach an equilibrium point at around 20% of the total population.

This will see budgeted total spending on social security grants rise from R37,1 billion during the last fiscal year to R54,4 billion in 2006-07. I’m a bit surprised that members are reading other things and are not interested in this discussion. In fact, I’m not just surprised, I’m also seriously offended by it.

The DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP (Mr M J Mahlangu): I just want to make a comment, Minister. Could members listen, because this is very important. You know that you are moving out next week to your constituencies and that is why you agreed to have the Minister present this, for you to use in your constituency next week when you go there.

The MINISTER OF FINANCE: The share of social development spending will rise to 28% of provincial spending in 2006-07, raising social security expenditure to over 3% of GDP. This is a trend that hon members must pay attention to in future years if we want to ensure that we have sufficient policy room to promote growth-generating policies. Issues contained in the resolution about growth-generating policies in the North West province need to find resonance all over, but if the provinces don’t have the resources to do it, then the provinces would tend to be employers of people and the managers of payment of social security grants, because we will not contribute to job creation. This is part of the challenge that confronts us here.

A particular concern is the rapid growth in disability beneficiaries, which has doubled from 612 614 beneficiaries in April 2000 to 1,27 million in April this year, resulting in disability spending rising from R4 billion to R10,2 billion over the period. My humble submission is that we can’t afford that rate of growth.

Looking at education: total education spending grows by 1,6% in real terms – from R60,3 billion in the last fiscal year to R73,7 billion in the third year, which is the year that ends on 31 March 2007. The highest growth is in nonpersonnel, noncapital expenditure. This is what educators call learner support materials; some of us are old enough to call this books and other things in schools, but that is the growth that we are watching. That grows from R5,2 billion to R7,8 billion over the period. These amounts, however, exclude transfer payments. This is expected to help the education sector allocate increasing amounts to learner support materials and reinforce improvements in the quality of school education.

The document also deals with outputs in education. On the one hand, it considers provincial performance in respect of matriculation pass rates. On the other, it reviews provincial attainment in maths and science. So this is not just about how many people we can put through with Biblical Studies on the standard grade, but how we actually use the education system and the money available to contribute to people who can readily be absorbed into additional learning and therefore build a cadre of learners that will be very different from what we have in South Africa at the moment.

Some of us are still trying to understand why Limpopo’s matric pass rates in maths and science are much, much better than those of some of the provinces that spend more per learner than Limpopo. Perhaps this says a lot about the efficiency of education spending in that province. I’m not saying this because the Governor of the Reserve Bank and the Director-General of the National Treasury both come from Limpopo. [Interjections.]

The document also deals with health. Provincial health budgets are projected to grow at 3,3% in real terms to R47,4 billion. Now, you will see education growing only at 1,6%, much slower than the total growth in the budget, and that health is also growing at only 3,3%. So there is that mismatch that is going to be important for members of this NCOP to be involved in trying to understand a bit better. The trends are not the same in all nine provinces.

Improving health service delivery largely depends on having the right skills in the right place. Implementation of the scarce skills strategy and rural allowances, which commenced last year, is on track. Additional resources over the next three years provide for the costs of hiring and deploying personnel with scarce skills, such as doctors and pharmacists.

Quality health care also depends on adequate medicine and drug availability. Over the next three years strong growth in nonpersonnel spending in health should allow our hospitals and clinics to ensure sufficient supplies of medicines, drugs and other medical necessities. Health budgets also include a conditional grant of R3,5 billion to be spent on HIV and Aids programmes over the next three years.

The issue about the right personnel in the right place is, to my mind, one of the biggest challenges in the health system. A province such as the Western Cape - and a city such as Cape Town - is very well populated with medics. But go out to the rural provinces, go to the North West and see whether you can find out how many pharmacists, how many occupational therapists, how many physiotherapists there are in the health system. Why aren’t they there? Gauteng and the Western Cape don’t face quite the same kind of challenge, but if you go to KwaZulu-Natal you’ll find these high- quality professionals at Nkosi Albert Luthuli Hospital. But you will not find them in Mkandla.

It is in trying to understand these kinds of trends – the document gives the distribution of health professionals per province – that we can, and more importantly you as members of the NCOP can, engage with this issue about the right skills in the right place. Unless members of Parliament are asking these kinds of questions repeatedly, I think we will be missing the ball.

Looking at the nonsocial services, provinces also budget for housing, provincial roads, agriculture, economic affairs, the environment and tourism, and other administrative functions. In some provinces there are huge royal households, and they cost quite a bit of money. Other provinces don’t have royalty, but all of those things have to be covered. Some provinces such as the province where I’m deployed, the Northern Cape, is a large province and so road maintenance is enormously expensive there. This is not so in Gauteng where everything is compact. So these kinds of issues impact quite directly on how the provinces allocate their resources.

Spending on nonsocial services functions, including housing, rises from R31,2 billion last year to R33,7 billion in the third year, which comprises about 18% of total provincial expenditure – included would-be industrial development zones and a series of other things, such as Blue IQ in Gauteng. Those kinds of things are all covered here. It is set to rise to R38,3 billion by 2006-07. Included in these amounts are funds earmarked for housing delivery, sometimes not spent on that, and for the Expanded Public Works Programme that we referred to in the Budget Speech in February.

Hon members will be pleased to know that in the first decade of democracy, government spent about R27,6 billion on its housing programme. The Department of Housing has funded over 1,6 million housing opportunities. Notwithstanding this progress, some challenges still remain, as we also need to create sustainable communities when we build houses.

With regard to local government services, members will note that the information available for the local sphere is not as reliable as that for the provinces. The implementation of the Local Government: Municipal Finance Management Act this year should lay the basis for improving the quality of this information over the next three years.

I have already referred to the challenge facing local government in containing its personnel expenditure. It needs to do so to address the substantial backlogs in the provision of drinking water, proper sanitation and electricity for all our people. The 2001 Census reported a backlog of 11% and 41% in water and sanitation respectively, and a 34% backlog in domestic electricity. The major backlog for both electricity and water is in the rural areas – but we know that – where on-grid electricity and piped water is not economical, and hence other types of supply mechanisms are required. These tend to be a lot more expensive. This impacts negatively on government’s call for the roll-out of free basic services as one of its major policy initiatives.

A major challenge that local government has to meet is to ensure that its finances remain sound as we restructure the distribution of electricity and create the first regional electricity distributors or REDs. Ethekwini and Cape Town will be the first REDs to be established.

The recently introduced municipal infrastructure grant will greatly assist in reducing backlogs over a 10-year period. In total, R15 billion will be available through the MIG over this Medium-Term Expenditure Framework, of which R8,1 billion has been allocated to water and sanitation. It is our hope that municipalities will rise to the challenge of generating jobs when using these funds, in line with the Expanded Public Works Programme.

Let me conclude by reiterating the opportunity and the challenge that this document poses for Parliament. I said earlier that it is not a constitutional requirement; there is not a statutory requirement. It’s an instrument that we try to place in the hands of members of Parliament. If it can be done collectively out of the NCOP, democracy will be richer in this country for it. But because there is no statutory obligation, hon Ralane, perhaps there is no requirement that it actually be used at all. The use of this document, I think, will depend on the amount of energy and political will that obtains in this House. And, I think, we look to the leadership of the House, both in the Chair and in the Whippery, to support us in this endeavour.

If we are to take our commitment to deliver basic services seriously, every relevant committee in both Houses of Parliament – and in the nine provincial legislatures – should be interrogating the contents of this document. So should every municipal council. I’m optimistic that every relevant portfolio and select committee will convene hearings on each relevant chapter, possibly joint hearings involving both committees here in Parliament, together with the nine provincial committees. I’m saying that we need a creative approach because the challenge of democracy is so much stronger. The mandate that we received from our people on 14 April says to us that we carry the hopes and aspirations of our people, and we may not fail them. This is not the be-all and end-all, but I would like to submit this document to the House as a contribution. Those who were at the Gordon’s Bay course know that I spoke there about a toolbox. This is another important part of that toolbox.

We’d like to say to you, Deputy Chair, and members of this House in all committees that we will be available to assist. There may be issues in this document that appear difficult. And if we can help facilitate the understanding of members in groups on this document, we stand ready to do so.

Finally, I want to express my sincerest appreciation to you and the Chairperson, and also to the hon Ralane. This House was not meant to convene this afternoon. You were persuaded that if we failed to use this opportunity today, during a week of training before members returned to constituencies, that we’d have to wait until October before this document would be available. Now, by having the document, by engaging with the provinces, we invite our colleagues and our comrades to explore this and at least begin testing the waters, so that when we return after the constituency period we can embark on a programme, or at least facilitate a programme with a lot more energy and intensity out of the NCOP to improve on the quality of oversight. I think we owe democracy at least that.

Thank you very much to you, Deputy Chair, and thanks to the hon members for having listened to me this afternoon. [Applause.]

The DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP (Mr M J Mahlangu): Minister, thank you very much. That was not just inspiring, but I think we really have a tool that we can use as we go and do our function in the constituencies. Minister, you are quite correct; when the Chief Whip and the chairperson of finance presented the matter to me we looked at the programme of the NCOP and saw that we were not sitting today. But then we had to convene our programming committee yesterday where all political parties were represented. I wish to thank all political parties that unanimously agreed that we grant you the opportunity to come to talk to them about this issue. I wish to thank you for coming, and your Deputy Minister also who communicated with me directly.

More importantly, Minister, let me also say that the chairperson of the finance committee has committed himself that after this document has been distributed to us or tabled in this House, there will be processes and a programme set up to discuss with or engage other stakeholders with regard to this document. I particularly, and the Chief Whip, would like that process to unfold when you come back from the week of 6-10 September, the provincial week. We will monitor that, and, as the Minster has said, the staff of the National Treasury is available to assist. Please, let’s not hesitate.

Minister, perhaps I should also let you know that I am not on the speakers’ list – I’m just giving myself time now to be on the speakers’ list. You were the only one who was on the speakers’ list. [Laughter.]

I’d like to inform the Minister that we have developed what we call Vision

  1. We are happy to present a copy to National Treasury that explains what we are going to do in terms of the oversight function from this year until 2009. Whatever we recommend or put forward as recommendations to the House, there will be engagement with the executive on all those issues, particularly on the expenditures on the ground. Most of our time is not going to be spent in the Council. Most of our time is going to be spent on the ground doing work there and coming to report to the executive and to the members of the Council in this House.

I’ll make a point of providing a copy of Vision 2009. In particular we are concentrating on the Schedule 4 powers that we have – those concurrent powers. We’ll be looking at the health matters, social welfare, social development, education, agriculture and all those issues which are contained in Schedule 4 of the Constitution.

Next week is our provincial week. We have targeted the municipalities. The Minister has quite correctly said that we have to assist there. That is one sphere of government that is closer to our people; that is tasked to facilitate also delivery on the ground. We are targeting that next week. As I adjourn this House all the members sitting here will be looking at how they are going to do this. We’ve been to most provinces. I went to KwaZulu- Natal personally last week. We had a workshop with all nine provincial Speakers and Chief Whips to discuss how we were going to synchronise our programmes so as to take them to the ground, because they have to be part and parcel of our work in the municipalities. Salga has been involved as well.

So all I can say to the Minister is that we mean business, and we will be there. I’ve listened to you. If members of Parliament and particularly of the NCOP don’t use that tool, we will be failing in doing our job. All the time it was we who were saying that we didn’t have enough information to engage with the issues on the ground. Now we have the information; now we can ask questions; now we can go there and see what is happening and what is not happening.

With these few words I would like to thank you all and thanks to all the leadership for organising this short session for this afternoon, and thank you, Minister, for the information.

Debate concluded.

The Council adjourned at 14:48. ____

            ANNOUNCEMENTS, TABLINGS AND COMMITTEE REPORTS





                    FRIDAY, 27 AUGUST 2004-12-06

ANNOUNCEMENTS

National Assembly and National Council of Provinces

  1. Introduction of Bills
 (1)    The Minister of Water Affairs and Forestry


     (i)     Water Services Amendment Bill [B 17 - 2004] (National
          Assembly - sec 75) [Bill and prior notice of its introduction
          published in Government Gazette No 26704 of 20 August 2004.]

     Introduction and referral to the Portfolio Committee on Water
     Affairs and Forestry of the National Assembly, as well as referral
     to the Joint Tagging Mechanism (JTM) for classification in terms
     of Joint Rule 160, on 30 August 2004.

     In terms of Joint Rule 154 written views on the classification of
     the Bills may be submitted to the JTM within three parliamentary
     working days.
  1. Draft bills submitted in terms of Joint Rule 159
 (1)    Water Services Amendment Bill, 2004, submitted by the Minister
     of Water Affairs and Forestry on 27 August 2004. Referred to the
     Portfolio Committee on Water Affairs and Forestry and the Select
     Committee on Land and Environmental Affairs.

TABLINGS

National Assembly and National Council of Provinces

  1. The Minister of Finance
 (a)    Agreement between the Government of the Republic of South Africa
     and the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia for the Avoidance
     of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with
     respect to Taxes on Income, in terms of section 231(2) of the
     Constitution, 1996.

 (b)    Explanatory Memorandum on the Agreement between the Government
     of the Republic of South Africa and the Federal Democratic
     Republic of Ethiopia for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and the
     Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with respect to Taxes on Income.

 (c)    Convention between the Government of the Republic of South
     Africa and the Government of the Republic of Bulgaria for the
     Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion
     with respect to Taxes on Income, in terms of section 231(2) of the
     Constitution, 1996.

 (d)    Explanatory Memorandum on the Convention between the Government
     of the Republic of South Africa and the Government of the Republic
     of Bulgaria for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and the
     Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with respect to Taxes on Income.
  1. The Minister of Labour
 (a)    Report and Financial Statements of the Education, Training and
     Development Practices Sector Education and Training Authority for
     2003-2004, including the Report of the Auditor-General on the
     Financial Statements for 2003-2004 [RP 44-2004].

 (b)    Report and Financial Statements of the Financial and Accounting
     Services Sector Education and Training Authority (FASSET) for 2003-
     2004, including the Report of the Auditor-General on the Financial
     Statements for 2003-2004 [RP 38-2004].

 (c)    Report and Financial Statements of the Manufacturing,
     Engineering and Related Services Sector Education and Training
     Authority for 2003-2004, including the Report of the Auditor-
     General on the Financial Statements for 2003-2004 [RP 54-2004].

 (d)    Report and Financial Statements of the Chemical Industries
     Education and Training Authority for 2003-2004, including the
     Report of the Auditor-General on the Financial Statements for 2003-
     2004 [RP 40-2004].

 (e)    Report and Financial Statements of the Wholesale and Retail
     Sector Education and Training Authority for 2003-2004, including
     the Report of the Auditor-General on the Financial Statements for
     2003-2004 [RP 62-2004].
 (f)    Report and Financial Statements of the Food and Beverage
     Manufacturing Sector Education and Training Authority for 2003-
     2004, including the Report of the Auditor-General on the Financial
     Statements for 2003-2004 [RP 46-2004].

 (g)    Report and Financial Statements of the Tourism, Hospitality and
     Sport Education and Training Authority for 2003-2004, including
     the Report of the Auditor-General on the Financial Statements for
     2003-2004 [RP 60-2004].

 (h)    Report and Financial Statements of the Police, Security, Legal,
     Justice and Correctional Services Sector Education and Training
     Authority for 2003-2004, including the Report of the Auditor-
     General on the Financial Statements for 2003-2004 [RP 55-2004].

 (i)    Report and Financial Statements of the Mining Qualifications
     Authority for 2003-2004, including the Report of the Auditor-
     General on the Financial Statements for 2003-2004 [RP 53-2004].

 (j)    Report and Financial Statements of the Local Government, Water
     and Related Services Sector Education and Training Authority for
     2003-2004, including the Report of the Auditor-General on the
     Financial Statements for 2003-2004 [RP 51-2004].

 (k)    Report and Financial Statements of the Health and Welfare Sector
     Education and Training Authority for 2003-2004, including the
     Report of the Auditor-General on the Financial Statements for 2003-
     2004 [RP 48-2004].

 (l)    Report and Financial Statements of the Clothing, Textiles,
     Footwear and Leather Sector Education and Training Authority for
     2003-2004, including the Report of the Auditor-General on the
     Financial Statements for 2003-2004 [RP 41-2004].

 (m)    Report and Financial Statements of the Media, Advertising,
     Publishing, Printing and Packaging Sector Education and Training
     Authority (MAPPP) for 2003-2004, including the Report of the
     Auditor-General on the Financial Statements for 2003-2004.

 (n)    Report and Financial Statements of the Information Systems,
     Electronics and Telecommunications Technologies Sector Education
     and Training Authority for 2003-2004, including the Report of the
     Auditor-General on the Financial Statements for 2003-2004 [RP 49-
     2004].

 (o)    Report and Financial Statements of the Primary Agriculture
     Education and Training Authority for 2003-2004, including the
     Report of the Auditor-General on the Financial Statements for 2003-
     2004 [RP 155-2004].

 (p)    Report and Financial Statements of Transport Education and
     Training Authority for 2003-2004, including the Report of the
     Auditor-General on the Financial Statements for 2003-2004 [RP 61-
     2004].

 (q)    Report and Financial Statements of the Forest Industries
     Education and Training Authority for 2003-2004, including the
     Report of the Auditor-General on the Financial Statements for 2003-
     2004 [RP 47-2004].

 (r)    Report and Financial Statements of the Sector Education and
     Training Authority for Secondary Agriculture for 2003-2004,
     including the Report of the Auditor-General on the Financial
     Statements for 2003-2004 [RP 58-2004].
  1. The Minister of Science and Technology
 Report and Financial Statements of Vote 18 - Department of Science and
 Technology for 2003-2004, including the Report of the Auditor-General
 on the Financial Statements for 2003-2004 [RP 145-2004].


                       MONDAY, 30 AUGUST 2004

TABLINGS

National Assembly and National Council of Provinces

  1. The Minister of Finance
 (a)    Government Notice No 850 published in Government Gazette No
     26576 dated 23 July 2004: Appointment of members and alternate
     members of the Public Accountants' and Auditors Board in terms of
     section 3(6) of the Public Accountants and Auditors Act, 1991 (Act
     No 80 of 1991).

 (b)    Government Notice No 860 published in Government Gazette No
     26576 dated 23 July 2004: Appointment of member to the Amnesty
     Unit in terms of section 23 of the Exchange Control Amnesty and
     Amendment of Taxation Laws Act, 2003 (Act No 12 of 2003).

 (c)    Government Notice No 886 published in Government Gazette No
     26602 dated 30 July 2004: Exemptions: Financial Intelligence
     Centre in terms of section 92 of the Public Finance Management
     Act, 1999 (Act No 1 of 1999).

 (d)    Government Notice No 896 published in Government Gazette No
     26603 dated 30 July 2004: Cancellation of appointment of an
     authorised dealer in foreign exchange in terms of paragraph (3)(a)
     of the Exchange Control Regulations Government Notice No R1112 of
     1 December 1961 as amended: Regal Treasury Private Bank Limited in
     terms of the Currency and Exchanges Act, 1933 (Act No 9 of 1933).

 (e)    Government Notice No 853 published in Government Gazette No
     26588 dated 30 July 2004: The dimension of, design for, and
     compilation of, the commemorative R2 circulation coin in terms of
     section 19(1)(a) of the South African Reserve Bank Act, 1989 (Act
     No 90 of 1989).

 (f)    Government Notice No 854 published in Government Gazette No
     26588 dated 30 July 2004: The dimension of, design for, and
     compilation of, the new R5 bi-metal circulation coin in terms of
     section 16(2) of the South African Reserve Bank Act, 1989 (Act No
     90 of 1989).

 (g)    Government Notice No 855 published in Government Gazette No
     26588 dated 30 July 2004: Amendment of schedule 2 section (b) of
     the South African Reserve Bank, 1989 (Act No 90 of 1989).
  1. The Minister of Minerals and Energy
 (a)    Report and Financial Statements of the Mine Health and Safety
     Inspectorate for 2003-2004 [RP 142-2004].

  (b)   Report and Financial Statements of the South African Nuclear
  Energy Corporation Limited (NECSA) for 2003-2004, including the Report
  of the Independent Auditors on the Financial Statements for 2003-2004.
  1. The Minister of Sport and Recreation
 Report and Financial Statements of the South African Institute for Drug-
 Free Sport for 2003-2004, including the Report of the Auditor-General
 on the Financial Statements for 2003-2004 [RP 118-2004].
  1. The Minister of Education
 Report and Financial Statements of the South African Council for
 Educators (SACE) for 2003-2004, including the Report of the Independent
 Auditors on the Financial Statements for 2003-2004.


                       TUESDAY, 31 AUGUST 2004

TABLINGS

National Assembly and National Council of Provinces

  1. The Speaker and the Chairperson
 Report and Financial Statements of the Public Protector of South Africa
 for 2003-2004, including the Report of the Auditor-General on the
 Financial Statements for 2003-2004 [RP 114-2004]
  1. The Minister for Agriculture and Land Affairs
 Report and Financial Statements of the Land and Agricultural
 Development Bank (Land Bank) for 2003-2004, including the Report of the
 Auditor-General on the Financial Statements for 2003-2004 [RP 147-
 2004].
  1. The Minister of Labour
 (a)    Report and Financial Statements of Vote 17 - Department of
     Labour for 2003-2004, including the Report of the Auditor-General
     on the Financial Statements for 2003-2004 [RP 64-2004].

 (b)    Report and Financial Statements of the Unemployment Insurance
     Fund (UIF) for 2003-2004, including the Report of the Auditor-
     General on the Financial Statements for 2003-2004 [RP 65-2004].

 (c)    Report and Financial Statements of the Compensation Commissioner
     for 2003-2004, including the Report of the Auditor-General on the
     Financial Statements for 2003-2004 [RP 65-2004].
  1. The Minister of Water Affairs and Forestry
 (a)    Report and Financial Statements of Vote 34 - Department of Water
     Affairs and Forestry for 2003-2004, including the Report of the
     Auditor-General on the Financial Statements for 2003-2004 [RP 131-
     2004].

 (b)    Report and Financial Statements of the Trans-Caledon Tunnel
     Authority (TCTA) for 2003-2004, including the Report of the
     Independent Auditors on the Financial Statements for 2003-2004.

 (c)    Government Notice No 897 published in Government Gazette No
     26602 dated 30 July 2004: Proposal for the establishment of the
     Mvoti to Mzimkulu Catchment Management Agency in terms of section
     78(3) of the National Water Act, 1998 (Act No 36 of 1998).

 (d)    Government Notice No 898 published in Government Gazette No
     26602 dated 30 July 2004: Proposal for the establishment of the
     Crocodile (West) - Marico Catchment Agency in terms of section
     78(3) of the National Water Act, 1998 (Act No 36 of 1998).

 (e)    Government Notice No 937 published in Government Gazette No
     26649 dated 13 August 2004: Release of parts of state forests
     which are no longer required for forestry in terms of the National
     Forests Act, 1998 (Act No 84 of 1998).

 (f)    Government Notice No 966 published in Government Gazette No
     26663 dated 20 August 2004: Transformation of the Jan Fourieskraal
     Irrigation Board, Division of Calitzdorp, Province of the Western
     Cape, into the Jan Fourieskraal  Water User Association, Water
     Management Area Number 16, Province of the Western Cape, 1998 (Act
     No 36 of 1998).

 (g)    Government Notice No 967 published in Government Gazette No
     26663 dated 20 August 2004: Transformation of the Stompdrift-
     Kamanassie Irrigation Board, Division of Oudtshoorn and
     Calitzdorp, Western Cape Province, into the Stompdrift-Kamanassie
     Water User Association, Water Management Area Number 16, Western
     Cape Province, 1998 (Act No 36 of 1998).

 (h)    Government Notice No 968 published in Government Gazette No
     26663 dated 20 August 2004: Transformation of the Stellenbosch,
     Helderberg and Lower Eertse River Irrigation Boards, Division of
     Stellenbosch, Province of the Western Cape, into the Wineland
     Water User Association, Water Management Area Number 19, Province
     of the Western Cape in terms of the National Water Act, 1998 (Act
     No 36 of 1998).

 (i)    Government Notice No 969 published in Government Gazette No
     26663 dated 20 August 2004: Transformation of the Zanddrift
     Irrigation Board, Division of Robertson, Western Cape Province,
     into the Zanddrift Water User Association, Water Management Area
     Number 18, Western Cape Province in term of the National Water
     Act, 1998 (Act No 36 of 1998).

 (j)    Government Notice No 970 published in Government Gazette No
     26663 dated 20 August 2004: Establishment of the Vanrhynsdorp
     Water User Association, Division of Vanrhynsdorp, Province of the
     Western Cape, Water Management Area Number 18, Western Cape
     Province in terms of the National Water Act, 1998 (Act No 36 of
     1998).

 (k)    Government Notice No 971 published in Government Gazette No
     26663 dated 20 August 2004: Transformation of the Lower Sundays
     River Irrigation Board, Magisterial Districts of Alexandria,
     Jansenville, Kirkwood, Port Elizabeth, Somerset East and
     Uitenhage, Eastern Cape Province, into the Lower Sundays River
     Water User Association, Water Management Area Number 12, Eastern
     Cape Province in terms of the National Water Act, 1998 (Act No 36
     of 1998).

 (l)    Government Notice No 985 published in Government Gazette No
     26698 dated 18 August 2004: Proposal for the establishment of the
     Breede-Overberg Catchment Management Agency in terms of section
     78(3) of the National Water Act, 1998 (Act No 36 of 1998).

 (m)    General Notice No 1767 published in Government Gazette No 26704
     dated 20 August 2004: Invitation for written comments on the Water
     Services Amendment Bill, 2004.
  1. The Minister of Minerals and Energy
 Report and Financial Statements of the Mine Health and Safety Council
 for 2003-2004, including the Report of the Auditor-General on the
 Financial Statements for 2003-2004 [RP 136-2004].
  1. The Minister of Arts and Culture
 (a)    Report and Financial Statements of the National Museum of
     Bloemfontein for 2003-2004, including the Report of the Auditor-
     General on the Financial Statements for 2003-2004 [RP 84-2004].

 (b)    Report and Financial Statements of the William Humphreys Art
     Gallery for 2003-2004, including the Report of the Auditor-General
     on the Financial Statements for 2003-2004.

 (c)    Report and Financial Statements of the South African State
     Theatre for 2003-2004, including the Report of the Independent
     Auditors on the Financial Statements for 2003-2004.

 (d)    Report and Financial Statements of the South African Blind
     Workers Organisation for 2003-2004, including the Report of the
     Independent Auditors on the Financial Statements for 2003-2004.

 (e)    Report and Financial Statements of the War Museum of the Boer
     Republics for 2003-2004, including the Report of the Auditor-
     General on the Financial Statements for 2003-2004.

 (f)    Report and Financial Statements of the Performing Arts Centre of
     the Free State (PACOFS) for 2003-2004, including the Report of the
     Auditor-General on the Financial Statements for 2003-2004.
  1. The Minister of Education
 Report and Financial Statements of the Education Labour Relations
 Council (ELRC) for 2003-2004, including the Report of the Auditor-
 General on the Financial Statements for 2003-2004 [RP 151-2004].
  1. The Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism
 Report and Financial Statements of the Greater St Lucia Wetland Park
 for 2003-2004, including the Report of the Auditor-General on the
 Financial Statements for 2003-2004.


                    WEDNESDAY, 01 SEPTEMBER 2004

TABLINGS

National Assembly and National Council of Provinces

  1. The Minister for Agriculture and Land Affairs
 Report and Financial Statements of the Agricultural Research Council
 (ARC) for 2003-2004, including the Report of the Auditor-General on the
 Financial Statements for 2003-2004 [RP 88-2004].
  1. The Minister of Communications
 (a)    Report and Financial Statements of the Independent
     Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) for 2003-2004,
     including the Report of the Auditor-General on the Financial
     Statements for 2003-2004 [RP 106-2004].

 (b)    Report and Financial Statements of Sentech for 2003-2004,
     including the Report of the Independent Auditors on the Financial
     Statements for 2003-2004.
  1. The Minister of Labour
 Report and Financial Statements of the Enery Sector Education and
 Training Authority for 2003-2004, including the Report of the Auditor-
 General on the Financial Statements for 2003-2004 [RP 45-2004].
  1. The Minister in The Presidency
 Report and Financial Statements of Vote 7 - Government Communication
 and Information System for 2003-2004, including the Report of the
 Auditor-General on the Financial Statements for 2003-2004 [RP 148-
 2004].
  1. The Minister of Education
 Report and Financial Statements of Vote 15 - Department of Education
 for 2003-2004, including the Report of the Auditor-General on the
 Financial Statements for 2003-2004 [RP 144-2004].
  1. The Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism
 (a)    Report and Financial Statements of Vote 28 - Department of
     Environmental Affairs and Tourism for 2003-2004, including the
     Report of the Auditor-General on the Financial Statements for 2003-
     2004.

 (b)    Report and Financial Statements of the South African National
     Parks for 2003-2004, including the Report of the Auditor-General
     on the Financial Statements for 2003-2004.

 (c)    Report and Financial Statements of South African Tourism for
     2003-2004, including the Report of the Auditor-General on the
     Financial Statements for 2003-2004.

\National Council of Provinces

  1. The Minister of Finance
 Trends in Intergovernmental Finances: 2000/01-2006/7 [RP 152-2004].