National Treasury on Wednesday appointed its chief director for fiscal policy in the Budget Office Ian Stuart as the acting deputy director-general (DDG) for the Budget Office, following the resignation of outgoing DDG Michael Sachs, earlier this month.

Media reports suggested that Sachs’s resignation was the result of President Jacob Zuma’s interference in the institution’s fiscal and budgetary process.

Finance Minister Malusi Gigaba has congratulated Stuart on his new appointment and wished him well in his role.

In a statement, Treasury said the primary role of the Budget Office’s fiscal policy unit, was to set the fiscal stance.

“This requires extensive technical knowledge of the budget, together with strong writing and presentation skills for public engagements,” the department explained.

In his new acting role, Stuart will author documents on fiscal policy matters for the South African Budget as well as the Budget speech and he will take on the role of Public Financial Management Advisor to the International Monetary Fund.

Stuart joined Treasury in 2006 as a senior policy analyst and has worked closely with the outgoing DDG.

Gigaba thanked Sachs for his “unwavering service, strong commitment and for the significant contribution” he made to Treasury over the years.