Department Budget: briefing

Meeting report

LAND AND ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS SELECT COMMITTEE
15 April 2003
DEPARTMENT BUDGET: BRIEFING

Chairperson: Rev P Moatshe (ANC)

Documents handed out:
Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism on Budget 2003-2004
Chief Directorate on Environmental Quality and Protection
Marine & Coastal Management
Poverty Relief Plan
Environmental Planning and Organisation
Biodiversity and Conservation Programme
Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism: Strategic Plan, 1 April 2003 - 31 March 2006 (Hard copy only available - please e-mail PMG for document)
Committee Programme

SUMMARY
A comprehensive appraisal of budgets and business plan priorities for the seven branch programmes of the Department was presented to the Committee. This left little time for discussion on the broad range of important issues concerned. It was agreed that a second session would be arranged for more in-depth interaction. Members were urged to prepare thoroughly for this once the more customised information requested had been made available.

MINUTES
Dr Matlou, Deputy Director General appraised members of his department's overall vision, mission and values before highlighting a wide range of impressive achievements for the financial year ending 31 March 2003 as well as focus areas for the coming year. Five priority areas had been identified to give effect to the Department's vision and mission.

These were:
-to create conditions for sustainable tourism growth and development
-to promote conservation and the sustainable development of South Africa's natural resources
-to protect and improve the quality and safety of the environment
-to promote a global sustainable development agenda, and
transformation.

The Department's seven branch programmes would drive the processes concerned. These were:
-Administration (Corporate Affairs and Chief Directorate Finance)
-Environmental Planning and Co-ordination
-Marine and Coastal Management
-Tourism
-Environmental Quality and Protection
-Biodiversity and Conservation, and
-Auxiliary and Associated Services (Antarctica).

Appraising members of emerging spending trends in the context of the 2002/2003 medium-term expenditure framework (MTEF) baseline figures, Mr T Bouwer advised committee members of a 0,91 per cent increase in overall expenditure for the coming year. There had been significantly higher year-on-year increases in overall expenditure between 1999/2000 and 2002/2003, but it was anticipated that expenditure would actually decrease over the following two years. This was due largely to the removal of poverty relief programmes from the Department's MTEF process.

Transfer payments to organisations outside the Department would continue to constitute a large proportion of the budget, representing allocations to fisheries, tourism promotion organisations, entities managing national parks and gardens and poverty relief projects. Approximately six hundred staff members had been transferred to the South African Weather Services, which was now operating as a public entity.

Dr J Matjila, Messrs Pretorius and Buthelezi, Dr P Matlou and Mr Van Schalkwyk then appraised members of key achievements and business plan priorities for their respective branch programmes during 2003/3004. Common to all of these was a commitment to interdepartmental linkages nationally, provincially and locally. Engagement in the environmental and tourism components of the New Programme for Africa's Development (NEPAD) also featured significantly. In the case of environmental planning, co-ordination, quality and protection, members were advised that donor money had been secured for certain programmes, while the role of the Business Trust in enterprise development within the tourist sector was also acknowledged.

Regarding poverty relief, members were advised that all monies allocated to this programme had been spent, with 208 out of a total of 402 projects now fully operational. An impact assessment was currently being conducted, the results of which were expected
shortly

Discussion
Ms B Thomson (ANC, KwaZulu-Natal) expressed concern that, in the absence of hard copies of the presentation, members might not be in a position to engage constructively with departmental representatives on a whole range of very important issues. Rev M Chabaku (ANC, Free State) endorsed this view and requested another opportunity for members to meet with the Department. Mr V Windvoel (ANC, Mpumalanga), suggested that members prepare questions for submission to the Department in anticipation of a time-slot being allocated prior to the budget vote for in-depth discussion on the matters raised.

Referring to the branch programme budget for marine and coastal management, Ms A Versveld (DA, Western Cape) asked under which item provision for court cases fell and how much had been spent on these during the previous year. She also requested information on the kind of subsistence fisheries being developed.

Ms B Thomson (ANC, KwaZulu-Natal) requested more detail on the poverty alleviation programme, noting that members needed to be able to identify projects relevant to their constituencies with a view to familiarising themselves with developments and progress made. She endorsed earlier requests for more time and a follow-up meeting in which to digest and discuss the large volume of information presented.

Mr R Nyakane (UDP, Northern Province) reiterated her request for more detail, especially in respect of jobs created. He also appealed for more time in which to digest the information already available.

Mr M Sulliman (ANC, Northern Cape) endorsed Mr Windvoel's suggestion in respect of a time-slot before the budget vote, requesting a provincial perspective on poverty alleviation programmes.

Acknowledging the wealth of valuable information presented in such a short space of time, the Chair proposed a two-hour pre-budget-vote session aimed at empowering members by providing a provincial perspective in layman's terms. Noting the relevance of each departmental programme to ordinary South Africans, members of the Department were reminded of their responsibilities in ensuring the adequate dissemination of information to people on the ground. He appealed to members to prepare thoroughly for the next session of discussions, suggesting that there might even be a need for a third.

Ms A Versfeld (DA, Western Cape) expressed concern about the unnecessary expenses entailed in conducting follow-up meetings when, with more attention to planning and preparation, scheduled meetings could more than adequately fulfil their objectives in the time allocated.

Ms B Thomson (ANC, KwaZulu-Natal) concurred, nevertheless reiterating her request for more detail.

Dr Matlou acknowledged the need for an opportunity for more in-depth interaction with members, undertaking to customise the information as requested before distributing it well in advance of the next meeting.

Mr V Windvoel (ANC, Mpumalanga) again suggested that members should facilitate discussions at the next meeting by submitting their questions to the Department in advance.

Noting that information on the Department's website appeared not to have been updated for some time, Ms A Versfeld (DA, Western Cape) commented that this was not helpful to members wishing to research issues of particular interest to their constituencies.

The Chair expressed the hope that the current year's budget allocation would impact positively on the lives of ordinary South Africans.

Regarding the proposed committee programme for the next session of Parliament, it was agreed that this should be adopted subject to the recommendations made by Mr V Windvoel (ANC, Mpumalanga).

The meeting was adjourned.