The Minister of Finance, Trevor Manuel will present the Nation's Budget to Parliament on 23 February 2005. Journalists will be given early access to the information (under strict police surveillance) in order to allow for a careful study of its contents and to assist with timely and thorough coverage. The lock-up will take place under strict police and National Treasury surveillance. Journalists who participate in the lock-up will be given an opportunity to raise questions of clarity with senior officials from National Treasury and SARS and during the briefing with the Minister at the press conference.
The media benefits from favourable lock-up arrangements for the coverage of this event and, in order to maintain this, we need the co-operation of all involved. To ensure and maintain the integrity of the lock-up arrangements, it is of utmost importance that no information contained in any of the material provided prior to the lifting of the embargo on Wednesday 23 February 2005 is leaked, as this would seriously jeopardise future arrangements for all concerned. All doors leading to the offices of the PGA journalists should remain ajar throughout the entire duration of the lock-up.
The lock-ups will be held in Cape Town in the Old Assembly and in Pretoria at 40 Church Square.
Registration in Cape Town will begin at 06h00 and PGA journalists can proceed to their offices after registration while for journalists who do not have access to the Press Gallery, there will be a separate lock-up in the Old Assembly. In Pretoria the lock-up will begin at 08h00. The National Treasury has a list of journalists who normally attend budget day lock up please confirm your details with Lindani Mbunyuza on (012) 315 5645 or lindani.mbunyuza@treasury.gov.za by no later than 17 February 2005. We require journalists to sign for the documents themselves and indicate that they accept the conditions and rules of the lock-up.
As no communication of any nature, either by telephone or modem, is allowed during the lockup, we would recommend that any journalists who would normally from the Press Gallery, but who are not working on the budget, work from elsewhere on the day concerned.
Doors are to remain open at all times.
Transmission of stories to editors can only be done from 13h00 (with full observation of the embargo).
Cellphones are to be switched off and placed in an envelope.
No e-mails are to be sent for the duration of the lock-up Refreshments will be served at 08h00 and 11h30. The lock-up will end at 14h00. EMBARGOES We expect the proceedings in the National Assembly to commence at 14h00. Although every effort will be made to ensure that the Minister delivers his speech at 14h00, the embargo ends when the Minister starts speaking.
All documentation will be available on our internet site www. treasury.gov.za. from 14h00.