INTRODUCTION

This submission is made in response to an invitation for making written submissions on the 2020 Appropriation Bill, the purpose of which is to appropriate money from the National Revenue Fund for the requirements of the State for the 2020/21. Our submission is made at a time when the lockdown in response to the COVID-19 pandemic has had far-reaching consequences for the economy which is heavily impacted by the public health imperative to slow down the spreading of the coronavirus by curtailing business activities, residents’ movement and the ability to secure a livelihood. Our analysis therefore focuses on both the appropriations put forward in February 2020 when the 2020/2021 budget was tabled and the implications COVID-19 has in the interim brought to the fore for public spending. Due to Black Sash’s sectoral focus on social development, our submission largely offers analysis of social spending rather than an exhaustive analysis across all areas of spending. We conclude with recommendations for adjustments to spending plans when the special adjusted budget is tabled.

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