PMG 23 October 2012.

Date of Meeting:

23 Oct 2012

Chairperson:

S Njikelana (ANC)

Documents handed out:
Energy Budgetary Review and Recommendations Report 2012
Committee minutes dated 24 April 2012
Committee minutes dated 4, 8 and 29 May 2012
Committee minutes dated 19 June 2012
[All Committee Reports available at Tabled Committee Reports once published]

Summary:

The Committee considered its Budgetary Review and Recommendations Report (BRRR). The Chairperson took Members through the BRRR page by page, encouraging them to make inputs and recommendations as the process unfolded. One of the recommendations already made in the BRRR was that the Department of Energy (DoE) should conclude outstanding policies, strategies and programmes. A list was included in the BRRR. Some additions recommended by members to be added to the list, were the Regional Gas Master Plan, the Review of the Integrated Resource Plan and the Integrated Energy Plan.  The Renewable Energy White Paper, which had seemingly fallen by the wayside, was also added to the list.  The Solar Heater Programme and the better mapping of indigent households’ electricity were issues which members agreed could be translated into recommendations as well.

There was agreement among Members that there had been no improvement on the South African Renewables Initiative (SARi). The DoE would be asked to brief the Committee on the matter. The Committee had a scheduled meeting with Eskom the following week and would enquire as to what had informed Eskom to propose a 16% hike in electricity tariffs.

An additional recommendation made by the Committee was that the DoE needed to strengthen its internal audit systems.

The BRRR was adopted as amended.

The Committee adopted minutes dated 24 April 2012, 4 and 8 May 2012, as amended. Minutes dated 29 May 2012 and 19 June 2012 were adopted unamended.