Weeks of recess have cut deep into Parliament’s available time for legislation and oversight even for standing calendar items like the Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS). And Parliament is hurting as benches are depleted of institutional experience and know-how.

Budgetary oversight effectively averages about two hours for each annual report, including financial statements. That’s all the time available to MPs in the run-up to the Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS) on 30 October for the budget review and recommendation reports that are the national legislature’s key Budget oversight tools.

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