Minister must hand over National Treasury’s secret nuclear build programme reports
1 October 2015
I will be writing to the Minister of Finance, Nhlanhla Nene, asking him to provide me with copies of several documents relating to the nuclear build programme, which are in the possession of the National Treasury.
The minister has suggested up until now that National Treasury’s work on the nuclear build programme has not been completed. However, a careful reading of National Treasury 2013/14 and 2014/15 annual reports reveals that this is simply not true.
The National Treasury have produced reports based on studies of the feasibility of nuclear energy, the financing of nuclear energy as well as assessments of alternative energy options including nuclear energy.
I will therefore be writing to the minister requesting him to provide me with copies of the following documents:
-a “nuclear feasibility report” mentioned in National Treasury’s 2013/14 Annual Report;
-an “assessment of the nuclear feasibility study” mentioned in National Treasury’s 2013/14 Annual Report;
-an “assessment of the Department of Energy’s Integrated Energy Plan” mentioned in National Treasury’s 2013/14 Annual Report;
-a report, or reports, based on a study, or several studies, on the “feasibility of gas, nuclear and regional hydro for electricity generation” mentioned in National Treasury’s 2014/15 Annual Report;
-a report, or reports, based on “several in –depth studies on short- and long-term energy generation options for South Africa” mentioned in National Treasury’s 2014/15 Annual Report’; and
-a “report on financing nuclear options, models and solutions” mentioned in National Treasury’s 2014/15 Annual Report; and
-a memorandum on the “report on financing nuclear options, models and solutions” submitted to the Department of Energy mentioned on the National Treasury’s 2014/15 Annual Report.
The nuclear build programme is a potential “financial tsunami” which poses a significant fiscal risk to South Africa.
It is therefore in the public interest that National Treasury’s reports on the feasibility, financing and assessment of alternative energy options – including nuclear energy – be made public.
Statement issued by David Maynier, DA Shadow Minister of Finance, 1 October 2015
