Cape Town - National Assembly Speaker Thandi Modise says the national legislature was forced to review its priorities like any organisation facing financial constraints.
Speaking during the budget vote debate on Tuesday, Modise said their baselines had been adjusted downwards in the medium term expenditure framework (MTEF) period.
“Our allocation for this financial year is R2 615 858 MTEF. Budget reductions for 2021/2022 is R256m, 2022/2023 is R338m and in 2023/2024 it is R296m,” she said.
Modise also said that clearly meant they needed to give attention to their spending patterns.
She said there were things the national legislature could not continue doing.
Modise also said they were engaging former members of the executive on their continued benefits.
"That budget for former ministers comes from Parliament and we can’t continue to do so,” Modise said.
She stated they were also engaging with the provincial legislatures on the contribution of former members of legislatures to the public representatives’ medical aid.
“It is to simply ask legislatures to take their burden over and allow us to continue with our own.”
Modise said they were also looking at a different method for political party funding transfers.
“We are figuring out a different system of ensuring the funds that must go directly to parties do not get put on the budget of Parliament and increase it to an extent that people think we get more money than we do.
“We are finding a way that party funding must go directly to parties and parties can account directly to the Treasury and to whoever it is,” she said.
Political Bureau