'Options available' if budget fails National Assembly test
An economist has outlined the government's options if Parliament fails to muster the required number of votes to pass the budget.
"It is possible, legislation does allow for another budget. Amending it is also possible, but technically very challenging," said economist Lisette Ijssel de Shepper.
The proposed budget includes a one percentage point VAT hike split over two years.
Political parties within the Government of National Unity have voiced their disapproval of the proposed VAT hike. They said they will not vote to pass the budget in the National Assembly on Wednesday.
However, De Shepper said there are other options.
"One option is that the budget is passed. I think, at the moment, that's still a very likely option. There is an option that the budget will be passed without the support of the Democratic Alliance," she said.
"I think that will, at the end of the day, result in a collapse of the government of national unity.
"There are options for amendments, so they could potentially agree on, we do this, but we don't do that."
Speaking about the latest negotiations with the ANC, the DA's Willie Aucamp said the country doesn't have an income problem.
"We've got an expenditure problem. The Democratic Alliance presented the ANC with a 15-page document with our proposals with regards to this budget," said Aucamp.
"After 12 days, the ANC came back to us and merely said that they rejected that document and that they expect the DA to support the ANC's budget proposals.
"We made it very clear that we are not there to rubberstamp what the ANC is putting in front of us."
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