DA, EFF, MK readying legal challenges to review parliamentary process that led to passing of budget
Several parties have cried foul that the finance committee didn't follow parliamentary rules or the money bills act when it adopted a report on the framework on Tuesday.
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CAPE TOWN - At least three legal challenges are in the offing to review parliamentary processes which led to Wednesday's passing of the budget fiscal framework and revenue proposals.
Several parties have cried foul that the finance committee didn't follow parliamentary rules or the money bills act when it adopted a report on the framework on Tuesday.
While the DA's papers are already hot off the printer and ready for filing in the Western Cape High Court on Thursday morning, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) said it would be ready to make an announcement on Thursday too.
The party's secretary-general, Marshall Dlamini, said that the recommendation by the finance standing committee for the finance minister to remove value-added tax (VAT) within 30 days was a red herring.
"As leadership, we are of the firm view that what has taken place here was not correct. He's going to come back here on the first of May and say I can’t find anything, so the budget has passed. So, it's a ploy to mislead our people and we refuse to be part of that."
Meanwhile, the MK Party's Des van Rooyen, a former finance minister, said that his party was also taking legal advice.
"How are we going to support something that's going to introduce VAT, which is regressive and then we claim that we care about the poor? Our people are extremely burdened."
The fiscal framework report adopted on Wednesday proposes a 0.5 percentage point VAT increase from 1 May but the finance minister is expected to return to Parliament within 30 days with alternatives to fund the revenue shortfall, and scrap VAT.