If there is one lesson we have learnt from the 2023/24 budget cycle, it is that public participation in the end-to-end process is critical. Courts have underscored the importance of public participation, particularly in the promulgation of laws, as envisioned in Article 118 of the Constitution.
We could all do with less controversy and the attendant uncertainty that necessarily follow these disputes. Businesses would be much happier with certainty about their obligations and the effective dates of such obligations. Citizens would also be happier if actively involved in the law-making process.
