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Cape Town - The South African Reserve Bank on Wednesday rejected a claim by the Inkatha Freedom Party that it has "failed to appear" before Parliament's finance portfolio committee.
"That is not correct," said the central bank's communications head Brian Hoga.
Three meetings were scheduled this year. However the first, in April, was set aside because of the elections and the other two - in June and September - were postponed at the request of the committee.
"They [the committee] have been postponing them... June and September particularly," Hoga said.
Sarb and the finance committee were "working towards" arranging a meeting in October. "We are still negotiating dates," he said.
In a statement on Wednesday, IFP MP Mario Oriani-Ambrosini said he had called on the finance committee to summon Sarb to appear before it.
"On [September 18], for the third time in a row over several months, the Sarb failed to appear before the committee.
"Irrespective of the reasons given, this failure to appear occurs at the most arduous time in the Sarb's life and during the worst economic crisis in South African history."
Oriani-Ambrosini said there were critical national economic decisions, hinging on money supply and interest rates, which were within the province of the Sarb.
"By not being able to meet the Sarb, the committee is unable to exercise its constitutional responsibilities to interact with [the] Sarb, not only in respect of these two critical issues, but also in respect of the other issues in the public debate.
"Concerns have been raised about the Sarb's private secret ownership, and the functions and the composition of certain of its organs, such as the secretive monetary committee, which finally determines how much we are to pay on our home bonds or credit card loans," he said.
- Sapa
