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The National Council of Provinces (NCOP) has, during its last virtual plenary sitting for the second term yesterday, passed the 2022 Appropriation Bill and the 2021/22 Second Adjustments Appropriation Bill.
 
The Appropriation Bill seeks to appropriate money from the National Revenue Fund (NRF) to provide for requirements of the state for the 2022/23 financial year. It makes specific allocations to state departments and entities and sets conditions for spending.

The purpose of the Second Adjustments Appropriation Bill, on the other hand, is to effect adjustments to the appropriation of money from the NRF for expenditure approved in the 2021/22 financial year; and to provide for matters incidental thereto. The Bill provides for an amount of R500 million to be added to Vote 18 (Health), to procure COVID-19 vaccines; and an amount of R18.1 billion to be added to Vote 8 (National Treasury), to purchase equity from the South African Special Risks Insurance Association (SASRIA).
 
The two Bills together with the Division of Revenue Bill were tabled by Finance Minister, Mr Enoch Godongwana, on 23 February 2022 following his presentation of the 2022 Budget Speech in Parliament. After approval by the National Assembly on June 14 the two Bills were sent to the NCOP for concurrence and the House referred them to the Select Committee on Appropriations for processing and reporting.
 
However, in order to streamline the processing of these Bills the Committee had already received a thorough briefing on them on 18 May and thereafter, on May 25, the Committee consulted with the Financial and Fiscal Commission and the Parliamentary Budget Office.
 
The Committee held a process of public participation on the Appropriation Bill on 31 May 2022 where Equal Education, the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) and the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants made submissions and comments on the Bill. Public hearings for the Second Adjustments Appropriation Bill were held on 1 June 2022, during which COSATU made a submission.
 
Having considered the two Bills, and inputs from the stakeholders, the Select Committee on Appropriations agreed to the Bills without any proposed amendments and recommended that the NCOP pass them.
 
The NCOP agreed to the Committee's recommendations and the Bills will now be sent to the President for assent.

Issued by Parliament of South Africa