The ACTING SPEAKER: Hon Chairperson and hon Members of the
Legislature, the presentation of the Legislature’s Vote to the House underlines
our commitment to the principles and practices of transparency and
accountability. Financial and fiscal
discipline will again be priorities in the 2001/2002 financial year.
The
Budget should be regarded as an accounting framework on the basis of which it
can be verified that monies are being spent in accordance with the
appropriations. The 2001/2002 Budget
registers an increase of 6.11%.
The
aim of the Legislature is to fulfil its constitutional functions. The requirement to succeed in this enormous
task is a strong, efficiently managed administration and support base.
The CHAIRPERSON OF COMMITTEES: Hon Member, Mr Mnguni.
AN HON MEMBER: [Inaudible]
[Laughter]
The CHAIRPERSON OF COMMITTEES: You may proceed, hon Acting Speaker.
The ACTING SPEAKER: This is an indication of a serious need
for workshops on Rules of the House.
Priorities
for the forthcoming year will be to continue service delivery. The Legislature will also aim to expand its
current public participation programmes.
Legislation will be a priority and more support of portfolio committees,
as well as an increase in the production of publications, are but to name a few
objectives for the coming year. I will
now proceed to deal with the Budget itself.
Programme 1: Administration
Funds
requested by the Legislature to accommodate the total administrative
expenditure amount to R13.939 million.
The programme description of administration entails a wide range of
activities. These activities include the
following aspects:
·
Policy
formulation by the Speaker, Deputy Speaker and the Secretary to the
Legislature;
·
The
organisation of the Office of the Secretary and managing its personnel and
financial administration;
·
The
provision of services in connection with legislation, questions to departments,
petitions and provincial legislative procedures;
·
The
provision of administrative support services to the Household, Portfolio and
Select Committees of the Legislature;
·
The
reporting and translation of verbatim reports of the House and committee
proceedings, as well as all official documents of the Legislature;
·
The production of publications for the
Legislature;
·
The
provision of administrative services with regard to facilities for
office-bearers and other Members of the Provincial Legislature, i.e. transport,
accommodation, communication, offices and study aid; and
·
The provision of catering facilities.
The
presentation according to the standard items is:
·
Administrative Expenditure: R4, 025 million, which represents a decrease
of R598 000 from the previous year. The
decrease is mainly due to less inland travelling, transportation and
communication, i.e. tightened restrictions on telephone and cellular use.
·
Stores:
R918 000, which represents an increase of R200 000 from the previous
financial year. Increased publications
of the Hansard contributed to the budgetary increase.
·
Equipment: We are dealing with R1 million, which
represents an increase of R306 000. The
equipment budget was maintained, with no increases over the past two years. Equipment upgrade, furniture provision and
the rental of copier products contributed to the substantial increase.
·
Land and Buildings: R2, 898 million, which represents the
provision of offices for the Legislature.
The offices of the Speaker, Deputy Speaker, Secretary, administrative
support, committees, public relations, represented political parties and the
respective support staff are situated at the Southern Life Plaza and covers an
area in excess of 365 000m˛. Offices
accommodating members of the NNP in the Willows suburb are paid from this
allocation. Maintenance of the Raadzaal
and an official residence for the Speaker is also provided for.
·
Professional and Special Services: R302 000, which relates to contractors.
·
Transfer Payments: Secretarial and office allowances payable to
political parties represented in the Legislature have previously been budgeted
for under Professional and Special Services.
This function has, on the recommendation of the Auditor-General, shifted
to Transfer Payments as the Legislature pays such funds in bulk to the
political parties. In addition to the
secretarial and office allowances of R3.098 million, constituent allowances of
R1, 620 million will be paid to represented political parties.
·
Miscellaneous: This amounts to R8 000.
The
remuneration of political office-bearers and staff are statutory.
The
amount, forming a direct charge on the Provincial Revenue Fund, is R28.325
million. It should be noted that
anticipated salary increases for political office-bearers would be granted as
an additional transfer to the Legislature, as this is regarded as a statutory
obligation.
The
Legislature will accommodate a permanent staff complement of 90 positions.
The
total estimate for the forthcoming year is R42.264 million.
Finally,
I wish to acknowledge the important role that Members of the Rules Committee,
including the hon MEC for Finance who serves in an ex-officio capacity in the
Rules Committee, played during the budgeting process of the Legislature.