MPS ADOPT SUPPLEMENTARY APPROPRIATION (2019/20) BILL

Members of the National Assembly on Monday adopted the Supplementary Appropriation (2019/2020) Bill, 2020.
The Minister of Finance, Mr. Thabo Sophonea said the government had to request a supplementary budget from the consolidated fund, after realizing that some of the projects were still pending but the budget allocated for such projects had been exhausted.
He said the funds had already been utilized and that it was befitting for the house to adopt the supplementary.
The Minister was seconded by Minister of Mining, Mr. Seriolong Qoo who said the supplementary appropriation budget was only meant to provide services to the people.
He said the Minister of Finance could not claim that the money belonged to him, saying he too could not claim it, stressing that it belongs to the general public.
”The Parliament is only doing its oversight role and accountability to the public for any fund spent to ensure that it was correctly utilized hence the supplementary appropriation bill,” he commented.
Mr. Qoo said the public is now free to approach Parliament to inquire about the accountability of funds, saying he always wondered why some members of the house were reluctant to adopt this year’s budget, which was going to address the nation’s challenges in their respective villages.
The Chairperson of the Economic and Development cluster, Mr. Kimetso Mathaba had also submitted the report of his committee before the house for adoption.
He said the supplementary appropriation budget from the consolidated fund was M4,387,826,738 in total, saying a huge chunk of it went to the Disaster Management Authority (DMA) to address the COVID-19 virus.
Other motions that were adopted by the house included the adoption of the report on the supplementary appropriation (2019/2020) Bill, 2020, Supplementary Appropriation (2019/2020) Bill, 2020, Adoption of the report on the Supplementary Appropriation (2020/2021), Bill, 2021 and the Supplementary Appropriation (2020) Bill, 2021.
Meanwhile, the majority of the opposition members continued boycotting the sitting with only less than five present in the house.
 
Source: LENA 28/03/2022