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Cape Town - Cutting, rather than freezing, the size of government’s bureaucracy is beyond the mandate of the National Treasury, Finance Minister Nhlanhla Nene told the parliamentary finance committee on Thursday afternoon.
Responding to a question from DA finance spokesperson David Ross, who asked whether Treasury should not be going further than simply freezing posts but actually cutting the number of government jobs to reduce costs and reduce the size of the “bloated state” machinery, Nene said: “You are stretching the Treasury mandate too much.”
READ: Strict measures to heal public finances
Stepping on the president's toes
He said what Ross was asking Treasury to do would be interfering in the authority of the state president, who plays a key role in determining the requirements of the machinery of state that has to deliver to the people.
Nene said Ross appeared to be suggesting that there could even be constitutional changes required to reduce the size of the political machinery of state – including government and the opposition. If so, Nene warned, Ross himself could lose his parliamentary seat. “You may just lose your seat (if there were state administration downsizing).”
Nene, who announced on Wednesday that there would be a freeze on all central government state posts for two years to cut the government's personnel bill, said if Ross is suggesting that the electoral system be changed or trimmed "maybe that is a constitutional debate”.
NOW READ: Economists salute Nene
- Fin24
Responding to a question from DA finance spokesperson David Ross, who asked whether Treasury should not be going further than simply freezing posts but actually cutting the number of government jobs to reduce costs and reduce the size of the “bloated state” machinery, Nene said: “You are stretching the Treasury mandate too much.”
READ: Strict measures to heal public finances
Stepping on the president's toes
He said what Ross was asking Treasury to do would be interfering in the authority of the state president, who plays a key role in determining the requirements of the machinery of state that has to deliver to the people.
Nene said Ross appeared to be suggesting that there could even be constitutional changes required to reduce the size of the political machinery of state – including government and the opposition. If so, Nene warned, Ross himself could lose his parliamentary seat. “You may just lose your seat (if there were state administration downsizing).”
Nene, who announced on Wednesday that there would be a freeze on all central government state posts for two years to cut the government's personnel bill, said if Ross is suggesting that the electoral system be changed or trimmed "maybe that is a constitutional debate”.
NOW READ: Economists salute Nene
- Fin24
