Mashatile advocates for a “people’s budget”

By Thebe Mabanga

The current budget impasse, which saw the national budget postponed for the first time in 30 years of democracy and still to be fully passed by Parliament, should lead to a more transparent and inclusive planning process with public participation.

This was the view expressed by Deputy President Paul Mashatile, who spoke at a Budget Roundtable event, hosted by the Finance and Fiscal Commission (FFC) in Cape Town.

The FFC is an independent statutory body that makes recommendations of government’s fiscal stance, revenue proposal as well as departmental allocations, including detailed aspects of budget management such as drawing up hospital budgets.

The commission is currently involved with the review of the Local Government White Paper on municipal governance models and funding, as part of Operation Vulindlela, which is the economic reform programme run by Treasury and the Presidency.

Following its postponement in February, the budget was eventually