The National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Finance has announced the deadline for written submissions on the General Laws (Anti-Money Laundering and Combating Terrorism Financing) Amendment Bill, which amends five pieces of legislation.
Read: Treasury publishes omnibus anti-money laundering bill
The deadline for written submissions is 12pm on Monday, 10 October.
Submissions can be emailed to Mr Allen Wicomb at awicomb@parliament.gov.za and Ms Teboho Sepanya at tsepanya@parliament.gov.za.
Enquiries can be directed to Wicomb (021 403 3759) or Sepanya (021 403 3662).
Members of the public who want to make submissions at the public hearings on Tuesday, 11 October, should specifically request this. The hearings will be conducted via Zoom.
Click here to download a copy of the bill, which amends the Trust Property Control Act, Non-profit Organisations Act, Financial Intelligence Centre Act, Companies Act and Financial Sector Regulation Act.
Advice when writing a submission
The Parliamentary Monitoring Group has the following advice for writing a submission to a parliamentary committee.
Ask yourself these five questions:
- Who am I writing to?
Your submission heading must clearly state the name of the committee you are addressing and the full name of the bill.
- Who am I?
State your full name if you are appearing as an individual or the name of your organisation if you are representing a company. If you are representing an organisation, state clearly its aims and your role within the organisation. Include your contact details so that the committee can reach you (or write them on a separate cover sheet if you want to keep that information private).
- What are my concerns?
This should constitute the bulk of your submission. State why the bill is important to you, and how it will affect you or the public. This should be followed by a paragraph underlining the problems you have with the bill and your proposed solutions or recommendations. Your submission will be judged on how convincing a case you make. Be clear, concise and logical. Remember to be constructive in your criticism.
- Do I want to appear before the committee?
If your submission is deemed worthy of consideration, you can appear before the committee to give an oral presentation. To do so, you must indicate in your submission your intention to speak at the committee meeting or list the names of the person(s) to speak on your behalf.
- Do I have support?
State whether you have consulted with anyone or if more people express the same position as you. This might give your submission more weight when it is being considered.
Other points to consider:
- Double check. Make sure you have done your research and presented your information thoroughly. Check your spelling and grammar.
- Conclude. End your submission with a summary of the main points of your argument in a concise paragraph.
- If you do make a submission at the public hearings, your presentation can be more persuasive if it is accompanied by visual aids, such as PowerPoint slides.
- Find out from the committee secretary how much time you will be allocated to speak. Ensure your presentation adheres to the time limit.
- It is likely that members of the committee will respond to the points you make, so be prepared for them.
